Playing It Blind
by Seto'swhiterose
Summary: COMPLETE Seto Kaiba becomes blinded in a car accident and has to get used to his new life. Where will it take him? Who will he meet, or see in a different light? Rating may go up genre may change, bare with me! R&R, please!
1. The Beginning

If this sort of thing appeals to you, sudden blindness, (like I do for some reason), then you will love this! But I must let you know that this story is just something that came to me on a whim...I have no idea where it's going to go...I might not continue it if no one reviews, because there will be no point...If you like this story...please review and tell me that I am not insane with my love of Yu-Gi-Oh! A/N: The whole story is from Seto's point of view.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, even though I would like to just to make this story into a series of episodes!

**Playing It Blind**

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

_I stepped into the backseat of my limo at the right moment, for the rain was just about to hit. I did not want my laptop to become engulfed in the sudden down-pour. It was uncanny—unnatural even—that the rain should have spontaneously flooded the place, the side-street of my Kaiba Corp. building. I sat down and listened to it for a few seconds. _

_Rollin, my driver, almost ran to the front seat to drive. Amusing sight to see, but he was not a very good driver, so this was going to be hell for him in the rain. "Wretched weather," he said, soaked and putting his slippery on the pedal. I didn't have to answer him, and I preferred not to, so I basically ignored him and opened my laptop to check my files again. _

_I ran my eyes down the endless columns of mathematical information, understanding it all and loving the results. I could run my company, let's just say. _

_We switched onto the expressway to get home. I always hated the expressway, endless driving, and no direction. Sometimes the cars next to you got too close and once and a while you made the mistake of getting too close to them. The latter was the case today, but that was only because of Rollin's lack of skill. _

"_You're getting too close to him," I warned. _

"_I know, Mr.Kaiba, I'm doing my best." _

"_Do better." I turned back to my laptop trying to block out the other car's honks. After five minutes of nonstop beeping I said, "Rollin! You—are—too—close!" No answer. What the hell was going on? _

_I looked into the front seat at him. His face was almost on the wind-shield. "What are you doing?" _

"_Sir...I can't see!" The wind-shield wipers were not working. All either of us could see was a steady grayness enveloping our long, black car. I thought of pulling over, but to where? We didn't even know where we were, nonetheless where the damn side-street was. By the time it occurred to me that we could get into a serious car-accident, it was too late. The honking car next to us had been rammed by my limo and as we were trying to pull away from him, we hit another car head on. _

_Right before I lost consciousness, I remember hearing Rollin scream and a horrible screeching sound made by scrape of metal and brakes. The last thing I ever saw in my life was my laptop screen shorting out. _


	2. The Hospital Bed

I am going to continue this story, anyway. It turned out better than I had hoped in the first chapter-! So, please review and tell me all of your thoughts on this chapter and the first. THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, sadly.

**Chapter 2: The Hospital Bed**

I had no dreams. Or at least, I don't think I did. They were all black and that's all I could remember. I don't know why...everything was just this eternal blackness that put me in danger of being eaten.

Dreamless nights were unusual for me. I barely ever sleep, but when I do, I have nightmares about my childhood...my step-father. I guess you could call the blackness an almost relief for me, but that would be weird considering what happened when I woke-up.

I think my sleep was disturbed by this rhythmic beeping that was very annoying after five minutes. I thought; where was I? I tried to remember what happened last, but that was only the car accident. Everything else was gone from my mind.

I opened my eyes, but a strange thing happened. My vision was extremely blurry and my eyes hurt very badly. I could barely see anything solid at all. I noticed some colors, a door and a hallway with moving people in it, so I made an assumption that I was in a hospital.

Damn. I hated hospitals. They reminded me of a waiting room for death and some people there just waited around and rotted for the rest of their lives in a little bed. Some doctors could work with that, but I don't think I could.

I wondered. How long had it been since the accident? I had no sense of time, and it seemed I was sleeping for ages. How badly was I hurt? My eyes pained me, but that was nothing serious, (I thought this). Was I alone in this room?

I chanced opening my eyes again. This time, my sight was even blurrier and my eyes had to immediately shut themselves they hurt so much. I'll tell you, pain doesn't really bother me, (it's one of the lesser inconveniences in my book), but the pain was almost unbearable in my eyes that day.

What I had seen, (though unclear and painful), was my little brother Mokuba sitting next to me asleep in a chair. I felt bad that he had to be here. He was just a kid, he didn't need to be exposed to hospitals, and, well, me in a comatose state for...how long?

But I had to make a decision. Should I make my presence known and if yes to whom?

I squinted my eyes open, (it hurt and I was at the point of almost no clarity at all, but I had made my choice), and nudged Mokuba with my hand. "Mokuba," I said, quietly, with no pain in my throat. "Mokuba, wake up!"

His little eyelids fluttered open. Upon seeing me awake, he gasped and widened his eyes. "Seto!" he said and flung his little arms around my neck. His small face buried itself in my shoulder. I had to close my eyes, the pain was too much. "I was so worried, Seto!"

"I know Mokuba. I'm sorry."

He looked up. "Hmm? Why are you sorry?"

"...I don't know. How long as it been since the accident?" I really wanted to know.

"Ummm....two days, I think. I haven't gotten much sleep. It's hard to sleep here, Seto."

"Yes, I know it is." Was it ever! I hated to think of him all alone and scared by my bedside in a little chair wishing that I would just wake-up for two days. The little kid had been through a lot, lately. "Have you been alone for two days right there, Mokuba?" I hoped he had gone home once, at least.

"Well, I wasn't alone. Yesterday, Yugi came here and stayed with me for a little bit."

I didn't want to hear that, and I wasn't really expecting it. "Yugi?!" I said and opened my eyes. When I did, I noticed there was no difference from when I had my eyes closed and when I had my eyes open. What was that all about? My eyes didn't hurt anymore, but my vision was...gone.

I closed my eyes and the reopened them. Same outcome. "Mokuba," I said, nervousness fluttering up to my chest. "I can't see." Nervousness. That was a strange emotion for me. I hadn't felt it since I was like 13 so, it was not only unusual, it crossed the line into unnatural. But that was the least of my worries. I couldn't see anything—that was bad.

"You can't see?" My little brother asked. "Anything at all?"

"No. It's just blackness, Mokuba." The blackness from my dream...it really had eaten me.

"Nurse!" Mokuba called out. "Nurse, please come in here, something's wrong!" Hell yeah, something's wrong.

Mokuba got off the bed and went into the hallway, (I know because I felt him get off the bed, heard him walk over to the doorway and yell down the hall for a nurse). I waved my hand in front of my face, but I couldn't see it. The blackness...so dark, so evil...

A nurse eventually did come. "Mr.Kaiba," she said talking my pulse for some stupid reason I'm still not sure of. "Mr.Kaiba can you see me right now?"

What the hell did she think? This nurse was not very good at her trade. "No."

"What can you see?"

"Nothing, if you don't count the blackness." She then went to go get my doctor. The woman sounded nervous, but I don't think she was as nervous as I was. I am actually going to say that when I lost my sight, I was down-right scared. Never, well infrequently if you count my whole damn childhood, was I scared.

Even though all my doctor could do was run some stupid tests and tell me to relax, (I'll say this and I'm not proud of it at all, so), because I was screaming by the time he had started his tests, I knew what was wrong with me. I was blind. And there was nothing anyone could do about it.


	3. The Floor

Thank you for the reviews. I loved hearing from y'all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, this chapter was very hard to write....I don't know why, but I didn't know how to continue from the second chapter. So, I hope you like it; don't criticize it too badly, please.

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is not in my possession, but if it was I guarantee you would be sorry for EVER calling Kaiba "rich boy", Joey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Chapter 3: The Floor**

Dreams. Mine were flooded with darkness. The impenetrable black smog that clouded my vision every day haunted me at night in my sleep. Sometimes, in a dream all I could hear was someone's voice, (I knew very well whose voice it was but for some reason all I could say was, "Is somebody there?"), call my name and my own breathing. With no light, no color, no vision for the whole nightmare, what could I do but wake-up sweaty and out of breath in a world without light, color, or vision?

I didn't really get any "melt-downs", or so my doctor said they were, from the shock of blindness other then when I first realized it. My doctor was surprised, but he didn't know me. (If he had, I assure you he would not have been surprised at my lack of shock, but at my shock in the beginning.)

Mokuba, for all his young age allowed him, hadn't been too upset about it at first. I remember that on the second day I was awake, he said, "Seto, I'm just glad your alive," and I said I was, too. In truth, I was not lying. The accident had been bad—I lost my sight and Rollin was in critical condition—but I had not broken any bones, or become permanently paralyzed...well, not really. Still, the outcome of it had not been the best.

After that day, though, Mokuba got a little more angst. He said, "Seto...why do you have to be blind?" Like I mentioned before, his young age allowed him some things, (questions, actions and thoughts), that weren't proper for the average person. But I just remember that question in particular because I had no idea how to answer it. I had been in a serious car accident and something happened to my eye muscles and vision that no doctor could repair. However this was not the answer he wanted. So, I ignored him like I always did when I did not have a reply.

Yugi didn't come back while I was still in the hospital. I hoped he wouldn't, I DID NOT want him to see my like that. I think Mokuba was a little sad to be lonely, though, but I could do nothing to allay that.

The first time I attempted walking, I was by myself. Mokuba was in the bathroom and I did not call the nurse's station because, number one, I hated them all, number two, I did not want any of their help, and number three, they took so damn long in coming it was useless, anyway. I guess, looking back on it now, what I did was a little arrogant. I needed help; I was just too stubborn to admit it.

I moved my legs, the easy part, over to the side of the bed and sat up. In my blackness, I felt around the floor with my toes—I didn't want to step on anything sharp or important. I was pretty nervous because I brushed against Mokuba's chair I flinched in quick fear. How was I to move that? Easy for me, I kicked it where my foot had touched it and it was out of the way. (This was only a temporary solution, because I had no idea where it fell, even though it made such a loud crash.) I stood up. Already my hands were sweaty. I had a sensation of falling the whole time.

Right then, I knew that falling in blindness was like falling into a bottomless pool with unknown surprises in it. What would I be falling on—something large, sharp, not easily broken? I stuck out one of my hands in front of me, just in case, and moved to my right, which was towards the door I knew.

What did I do then? I fell. I tripped over that damn chair and fell right on it. It knocked the wind out of me and I felt my chin get cut on the leg. My initial walking try-out was a failure.

Blessed Mokuba came back just when I was wiping the blood off my chin and trying to get up again. "Seto! What are you doing on the floor? Why? What happened? What did you do?"

"Mokuba, I just tried to walk." Would he even understand my reasons?

"Why didn't you wait for me to come and help? Why didn't you call a nurse?"

"I need to do it on my own, Mokuba." No, understanding it was not his job or in his ability.

"Seto...you can't just yet." He went over and helped me up. I think it was at that moment that I realized something. I felt it as a most complex emotion, but it really was a state of mind, almost, and it can be summed up in one word: Helplessness. Mokuba, my little brother, had to help me walk across the floor. Would he serve as my "walker" or my guide? Which was appropriate? Either was not the way it was supposed to be at all. What had happened to me?

I left the hospital in a week. I felt no different from when I had first woken up, but there was nothing the hospital could no for me anymore and I needed and wanted to be home again. I was worried about my company; who could run it as properly as I could? Would I be able to run it anyway—ever?

We, Mokuba and I, had a choice about how we wanted to go home. Since it was not a rainy day, it was just gray, so I was told, and muggy, I convinced Mokuba to walk home instead of calling for another one of my limos. I had a feeling that I would hate being in cars for the rest of my life. Plus, the fresh, damp air did me some good. I could hear the wind, the crunching of gravel as we walked and I could sense the tension of an oncoming storm.

I have no idea what I was wearing that day, in a sense, because I couldn't see it. Mokuba told me it was my blue trench and black shirt-pants combination but what the hell did that mean? Since when does my little brother know enough about my clothes to tell me that I have shirt-pants combination? It was just weird so I try not thinking about it.

My house was different. I remember feeling so proud of it all the time because I stole it from my step-father. Yes, without me that maniac would still be there, but no, with my intellect...etc. Now I felt unworthy of it. I could see no feature of it, no couch, no furniture, and no room at all. That was different. Too different.

The first thing I did was go upstairs, with Mokuba's help, and into my room. I immediately felt the largeness of it. Suffocating. I had always hated this room, but now it was killing me. The unknowingness, the sensation of falling even with Mokuba clinging to my long arm, and the fear of it all was what it was like to be blind.

In the beginning, the first weeks of my suddenly new lifestyle, that I knew nothing about, were the hardest. I thought that I could never get used to it. Even so, what was there for me to do? Nearly everything, I realized, I had worked with was based on my sight—my company, my inventions, my computers, my helicopters, duel monsters, chess...the list of my lifeless life went on and on.

Even if you don't already think I pitied myself, I can tell you that I was.


	4. The Room

Sorry for the delay, I was on vacation in a hot spot with no internet. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved hearing from y'all. I would like to respond to some of them:

Shizuka Kaiba: Hehehehe....you read my mind...but that comes later!

Game and Watch Forever: Thank you very much! I am glad you like my story, I work very hard, and it's nice to know some one appreciates it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I am starting a protest group that might work on this issue, (just kidding!).

**Chapter Four: The Room**

I missed my colored dreams. Where had they all gone to? Why was I left with only the darkness and that incessant calling in my night hours?

I yelled in my dreams sometimes. Out of torment. Why did he torture me so by just calling my name? I would never be able to reach him—that voice—and I knew it. I would be nothing.

My dreams carried over into my real life. Mokuba sometimes forgot and said, "Seto, come here for a second—oh wait, sorry, let me come to you." I don't think he knew how much he hurt me with that. I never told him. But I felt the pain and felt like crying out in my own way, which became more and more difficult to control as Mokuba got used to it, and said, "Seto, let me come to you." All the time.

I tried walking and doing normal things all the time. Never worked out. My blindness decided everything. I only walked when Mokuba was missing and I had to go somewhere important. I only ate when there was lettuce or something around because I couldn't cut anything up—no, I couldn't even eat. I never felt like it.

My company...well I checked on it in the beginning, Mokuba walked me to my building and I sort of just sat there. In truth I was no good without my laptop that the millions of stored data. Even if it hadn't been destroyed in the car accident, I wouldn't be able to see it anyway.

Employees, coworkers, my vice president and executive associates, (I had to get all new ones after the Big Five lost their pathetic little minds to a damn video game), tried to be nice to me. But they were all squeamish around me. How could they not be? Their top employer, President of Kaiba Corp., the richest man in the world, was permanently blinded. Anyone would be a little uncomfortable.

I remember one of my associates came up to me and started screaming in my ear. The sound—it was so loud—louder than normal. After I pushed the guy away with the condescending reminder that I was blind, not deaf, I realized that, without my noticing, I had better hearing. This was only natural, I knew, but I hadn't expected it so soon.

I think it was a few days after that day when I stumbled into one of my old rooms. I am still not sure to this day which room it was, I have so many and this one I don't think I even went into anymore. I remember that I had been trying to find Mokuba, (this was a stupid thing to try to do), by running my hand across the wall. That's how I got around—I just leaned my arm or shoulder against the wall and I moved in the direction I wanted to go. Bad way to do things, I constantly crashed into furniture, pictures, wall decorations, and the like.

So I was walking across the hallway calling out for Mokuba and the door to that room was open. I didn't really notice this until I fell into the room, thinking there were more walls there. Somehow the door closed when I tumbled in. Now, you see, some of the doors in my house have a lock feature that comes into effect when you close the door, (Gozaburo had that feature put in for a sadistic reason I don't want to go into). It happened to be my luck that the room I was in had this ability, which I realized after clumsily standing on my feet, feeling the door all the way to the knob only to find that it wouldn't turn in either direction. I knew that the key was somewhere in the room, I had made sure of that after I threw Gozaburo out so as not to be trapped, but...how could I find the key?

I turned around and stared at the wide blackness that was the room. I couldn't get Mokuba now; there was no one but me in there. For some reason, I got a shiver, suddenly. I thought of the fact that when one sense is eliminated, fear sparks because this is now an alienated feeling and one is not accustomed to it. However, I don't think that was the reason. Think about the facts: I was locked in—a prisoner of my own home...and my blindness.

That damn key. Where was it? In a box? A drawer? On a desk? All of those things meant that there was excess furniture, one of my worst fears now.

I attempted to summon my old courage. I used to have a lot of it, undoubtedly. My pace rarely quickened in a duel, except against Yugi when there was actually a chance of defeat for me. Ever since I lost my sight, it seemed to be damaged or dulled. There was a chance of defeat everywhere now.

I lost it then, totally. I sat down on the floor and put my head on my hands. I didn't cry, (never could never would), but I just sat there and refused to get up. What was the point? I had nothing of my old self, none of my passions, none of my life. The picture of agony, I think, was what I looked like.

The thought that struck me next changed my life forever: "Just like a pathetic dog sit at your master's feet." I had said that to Joey once. It applied now. I was being a pathetic dog, allowing my blindness to be my master. Why? Who was I anymore? I used to be stubborn and hard and, well, mean. Why had my blindness softened me? Because I was now in the way of harm? That made a little sense...but I wouldn't allow it anymore. Those words—MY words—had come back to haunt me. No way was I going to be a sad little dog.

I stood up. I was going to find that damn key.

After I unlocked the door, I had a metaphysical reaction. Not only was I free of that room, that blessed, evil room, but my blindness was no longer my captor or my master. I had unlocked the door to freedom.


	5. The Man

Hello, this is fifth chapter work coming up. Once again I would thank ALL of my reviewers, thank you, thank you, because I loved very much to hear from y'all. To respond to one:

miyabi-kkg: I'm sorry, but I don't really write slash...so no SetoxJonouchi. Sorry!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh....to all my successors, I...I....I'm sorry I couldn't do any better, turns head in shame.

**Chapter Five: The Man**

Call away. That's all he ever did in my dreams. Curse him! He tormented me so...I wanted him to die...I almost had him....damn! I woke up sweaty and out of breath.

I was getting better.

No longer did I mope around the house calling for Mokuba in a blind state of despair. No.

I had a cane, now. This is what I used to tap my way around my home and my building. Yes, now I went to work again...and I actually did something.

You will have no sense of what this felt like, ever. It was a mix of happiness and irritability for me. I was so glad and relieved to be useful again in my company...but the people around me...they were more than nervous around me. I don't know why.

If I'm going to tell what happened at all, I have to go back to this one day when I believe it all started. I was sitting at my desk in the top floor of the Kaiba Corp. building working on my new laptop, based on sound, of course, because I couldn't see. (I would like to take this opportunity to say that this laptop was not nearly as good as the one I lost in the accident. But it had to do.)

"Mr...Kaiba," my secretary Lola stammered out as she stepped in the doorway. (People there sometimes hesitated when saying my name. Odd, no?)

"What?" I didn't look at her; this was a thing with me. I constantly looked in one direction—right in front of me—because hearing the voice and then staring at it, which is more or less what I had to do, stare at someone's voice and hope I was looking them in the face, was difficult at first.

"Umm...well for some reason there's a person here to see—AHEM—speak with you." They got choked up with the "see" thing.

"I know, I heard him walk up. And there are going to be people to see me, Lola. I am the president of Kaiba Corp. Things like this happen." If they were going to treat me like a freak, I was going to treat them like slow people.

"Umm...ok..." I heard her call in the hallway, (her voice became an echo in my very large hall so I knew what she was doing), and "You may come in, now, Sir."

The footsteps of the visitor were different—slow and deliberate. They seemed to be made by large shoes, boots. They stomped and jingled a little bit when he walked. He was trying to intimidate someone. He would have to try harder then that to get to me, though.

"What have you come here for?" I still did not look towards the racket he was making with his shoes.

He stood in front of my desk; I sensed him, smelled him and heard his breathing—like the breathing of a wild, furious animal. His presence gave off an aura of claustrophobic darkness, the kind that gives you a lump in your throat. He smelled of dirt, graveyard earth from six feet under the surface. Very creepy.

"I have come," he began, his voice like that of a bull; low, deep and rounded. "to notify you of a challenge."

"What kind of challenge?" My eyes needed not to move because he was right in front of me. He beginning to draw my attention, I stopped typing on the laptop, but I was far from interested.

He growled a low laugh. "That is the right question."

"So glad. Now answer it." Really, I didn't have the time for this. Ever since blindness struck me, I had to work doubly hard to keep up with everything.

"Very well. A tournament is to be held."

"A tournament?"

"Yes. A duel monsters tournament."

"And....how does this effect me?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're invited."

Was he insane? There was no way in all of the seven hells that I—blind Seto Kaiba—was going to compete in a duel monsters tournament. Ever again. "Are you out of your pitiful little mind? I can't compete in any more tournaments."

"Why not?"

So he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. I guess guys who smell like they just rose from the grave really aren't. Shame. "I am blind, you fool."

Now he burst out in a roaring laugh similar to a wild-man's. "So," he started again, winding down a little bit. "The great Seto Kaiba has finally given up, and dulled his sharp soul."

He was getting personal. I wouldn't let him see he was eating at me. I remained indifferent until he finished his laugh. "Are you done?" I asked.

"Almost."

"Took that long. First of all, I don't know how you can expect me to play that game again. I can't even see the damn cards. Second, you couldn't be more wrong about me. Third, if you have come all the way here to waste my time insulting me, let me know. Because I'd be more than happy to throw you out of this window here with the promise that your dirty, graveyard digging ass is so far gone from this life that you're going to wish you never showed up in my office offering my an unacceptable challenge." Looking back on it, I guess I was giving him a reason to believe he got to me. Oh well, what I said took him down a few pegs on the arrogance scale.

"Alright....alright..." he said after he recovered. "So you won't accept my offer, then?"

"No."

He sighed. "Fine. Suit yourself. But if you change you mind call me. My name is Lock." How he expected me to call him without leaving a phone number, I have no idea. But I just wanted him out of there. He left with a few stomps of his over-sized boots.

"Finally," I said once he left. I turned my attention, (not my eyes), back to the laptop. "That guy has something wrong with him."

I thought it was over. But the next day frightened Lola showed up at the doorway again. "Mr...Kaiba? I have a letter here for you. There's no return address, though, so I don't know who it's from..."

Interesting. She dropped the letter on my desk. I felt her staring rudely at me for a few seconds before she turned and began walking away.

"Where are you going?" I asked, slightly amused at her foolishness.

"Umm, well, I was just, umm, ok, yea, I was just, umm, going to....my desk sir!"

"Why? I need you to read this letter for me. Out loud."

"OH! Right, well, I was just...you know...yea." She picked the letter up again, gently and read:

"_Seto Kaiba,_

_I have taken it into my hands to re-invite you to my tournament. Only this time, I'll make it worth your while and effort._

_Come to the Domino clock tower on Thursday at 5:00 pm. There the opening speech will be made. If you listen to the speech you will find out why you should compete, even though you are now blind. _

_If you do not come, you will be sorely cheated. _

_Lock_

It ends there, sir."

This was beginning to sound like MY own tournament, the one I recently held, which turned out to be very uneventful in truth because I did not achieve my goal of defeating Yugi and everyone there was totally swept up by this Egyptian fairytale thing that they all insisted I was one of the characters in. So, yes, Yugi "saved the world" from this evil guy named Marik only to find NO gratitude other then his little circle of friends cheering for about five seconds. The whole Ishtar family basically disappeared after that, thank god. Just waste my time, why don't you?

But then I thought: I could see then. Now...I hadn't been practicing or even thinking about my duel monsters. I was too busy learning how to get around and do all the things seeing people took for granted every day. No. This was not good for me.

Yet...the duel monsters game was my passion. I had to go at it again...but how? Ok, so I'd go to Lock's little opening thing and find out what he was raving about. Maybe even play a game or two. But I wouldn't win, and that was the most important thing.

I was still pondering this fact when Lola interrupted me and asked, "Is Lock that menacing gentleman from yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Oh. If I may, sir, I would advise you not to go."

"And why is that?"

"Because, well, sir, he was very creepy. His hair was black and long and greasy and all in his face and he was wearing these dirty clothes that were ALL black and cape-like and these boots with chains on them and well...he..."

"He what?"

"I shouldn't say, sir, I do not mean to, ahem, ahem..."

"Just say it."

"Well, he was blind, too, sir!"


	6. The Opening and the Unwanted Meeting

Hello, hello! My sixth chapter arrives! At the risk of being redundant: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!!!!!!! Response:

Darkest Aphelion: Romance? DEFINITELY!- As for how many chapters...I would say at least 10, but really I'm not too sure. I just write when the ideas come, you know?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I thank whoever does for creating it, (now just hand it over nicely...that's it...)

**Chapter 6: The Opening and the Unwanted Meeting**

_"SETO! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!!!"_

_"I can't! I can't see!"_

_"Seto! NOW!!!"_

_"I...I...I can't!"_

_"So, the great Seto Kaiba has finally given up and dulled his sharp soul!"_

_"Shut UP!!!!!" _I plunged at him, but there was no more dream for that night.

It seemed that was my one destination. Fight until the death, the want to, but only to find that I was awake at the last second. Lock's words had somehow snuck in there. I couldn't stop thinking about them. Was he right? No....but how should I know?

Apparently, I couldn't seem to get anything about that crazy guy out of my impenetrable skull. He was a damn paper-cut that wouldn't heal. He caused so many questions and disbelief and, well, a general sense self doubt. Sure, he was blind...how could he run a tournament, anyway?

And what did he use to get around with? I sensed no dog, heard no cane, and I was sure he didn't trip at any time...how? I eventually lost track of the amount of times I asked my secretary Lola if she was absolutely positive about her assumption, (for all I knew, it was only assumption, not fact). But she held strong, (a considerable change of pace for her).

I consulted with Mokuba before I completely lost my mind and decided to go to the tournament. He tried to stay neutral, I think, because I didn't really understand his reply when I asked, "Should I even show my face at the tournament?"

"Well...on one hand it is a good idea. I mean it would so give you back one of your old passions, you know? But...I kind of don't know how you even can duel because you're blind, now, so...."

"Yes, but what do YOU think?"

"I think it would be good and bad. But some people do go both ways, you know? Maybe it could be like that." What the hell did that mean? He was talking in utter circles and he was losing me.

So I couldn't ask Mokuba anymore. Then who would I? If I remember correctly, and I do, once I even thought about giving Yugi Motou a call...but then mentally slapped myself. No way was I going to talk to him right now. If he was invited to the same tournament...well, I would have to go, but I would ultimately loose.

Whenever I thought, it all ended in one single knot that I couldn't break. There was always one last thought before I gave up: I'll make it worth your while. What could he mean? Surely he was talking about a strategy or a card, but did it have to do with my blindness?

Wednesday night, I had some serious questioning of myself. But, sometimes it seems that just when you need it most, your thoughts won't come. I spent the whole night with no sleep, (nothing new), just willing myself to see what I hadn't for a whole week. Nothing came.

Thursday came, though. And I was without a decision. I spent the day in Kaiba Corp. very disgruntled.

As much as I did not want it to, 5:00 rolled around. I guess ultimately what made me go was the thought that it didn't matter what happened at the _opening_, if I didn't like it or realized it was out of my league—THAT IS, I wasn't ready for it yet—I could just leave and never go back. What the hell, right?

Mokuba walked me to the clock tower. I could tell that there was something going on because right when we neared; I felt and heard this gigantic mob of people—suffocating me, in truth—standing around and talking in anticipation.

"Is it true?" I heard one ask as Mokuba and I tried to squeeze through into open air, again. "That the guy running this is blind?"

"I don't know, but I heard that his profession is grave digging!"

"What a weirdo!" Really, I wondered how any of them got invited. Did Lock do what I had done, search for the elite duelists in the country and give them an anonymous invitation? Somehow I doubted it. Maybe he would reiterate in his speech, if, indeed, that's what he was making.

Once free of that crowd, Mokuba found a bench and told me to sit there and "hang tight" for a little while. "I just have to go find out something." He didn't tell me what.

I didn't really like being alone in a new place, but whatever. I could handle it. Or so I thought.

It wasn't very long before I heard five distinct voices I would rather not have heard any time soon, (or ever, for that matter). My stomach turned in disgust and tension.

"I feel kinda bad that all these people are here just to lose!" The heavy, exaggerated Brooklyn accent that only meant one thing to me wafted across to my unwillingly listening ears.

"Come on, Joey, you might not win!" A girlish, woman admiring voice followed.

"Hey, where's the love?" Brooklyn again.

"Personally, I think Joey's gonna wipe the floor with all these guys...if he can get past Yugi, that is." A boyish, man slow light voice put out.

"Thanks, guys, but I think there are a lot of great duelists here. I can't wait to get started!" Now a voice that I knew quite well, childish, male-preppy, and none other thank Yugi's.

"Well, I'm just glad that I can finally see a duel—without any complications. Just for fun, right Big Brother?" Whoever that was, I had not been sure of; she had a mild very small voice and very depending. I tried to remember another member of Yugi's crowd, but I really had trouble with that part.

"Yep!" At that point all I could do was hope and pray that they did not come near my bench. I had singled them out with my ears and heard only their footsteps afterward. In horror, I listened as they inevitably neared.

Could I pretend to ignore them? Would that be like hiding? I didn't know and either way, they would notice me sitting there like a bright red light in the dark. Damn.

"Hey...isn't that Kaiba?" Why did he have to say it? That mangy, straggly boy who refused to speak correctly...why was he the one to announce my presence? Damn him.

"You're right..." Tèa. "Why is he here? I mean...he can't..." So, she didn't have the guts to state her disbeliefs about my coming. But the way she said "he"...damn, I could have seriously killed her.

"Let's go talk to him, you guys!" Yugi. So over-enthusiastic, he was. Why couldn't he have just walked away and listened to his friends, who protested, "What, why?"

"Yugi, let's just leave him alone..." Now there was a good idea!

"No, I wanna see how he's doing. Hey, Kaiba!" Oh...he had called my name...should I ignore him? I thought of Mokuba saying he had visited me in the hospital. I couldn't just ignore him.

I lifted my head, (which had since been cocked in the direction of the ground to make me seem inconspicuous, a very hard thing to do), but kept my eyes staring at the area in front of me. "What's up, Kaiba?" He persisted.

They were so close to me now, I hated it. I felt their stares bore into me and Yugi's smile, (which I had no doubt he was wearing for emphasis), caricature the whole thing. Maybe if I was as irritable as possible they would go away. But...he was with Mokuba when I was near death...oh, I owed him. As much as I hated it, I owed him a lot.

"Hanging in there, man?" Why is this phrase so popular? What does it mean, literally? I hate it. It should be banned from the English language. Really.

"Yugi?" I asked. I tried to pretend I didn't really know who they were, though I had heard them coming from a mile away.

"Yeah, man, it's us. How's it going?"

"Good afternoon, Kaiba." It was Wheeler. He was oddly close to me...I knew what he was doing. I grabbed his hand where it was in front of my face and felt his middle finger standing by itself to curse me out.

"Well, that's not very nice," I said with a sneer. "Who taught you to do that, your trailer-trash mother?"

"Hey! Let go of my hand." I was crunching the bones with ease, it's what he deserved. I enjoyed his grunts of pain.

"Come on guys, stop. That was mean Joey..." I let go. Whoever was that didn't like our tuft, she sounded like an innocent. I hated innocents.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Joey scampered back to his friends.

"So, what are your plans for this tournament, Kaiba?" Yugi, again, unmoved by Joey's little trick.

"I'm going to sit here and listen to the opening and then I am going to decide whether or not this tournament is really worth my time."

"How are you going to duel, anyway, Kaiba? I mean..."

I tried to move my head to her voice, which meant trying to look at her in my world, and said, "Now, there is a question you should ask the man who has been bothering me for the past week to come."

I think the innocent girl wanted to say something, right then, because she made a noise like, "I th.." but then there was a booming sound. It was so loud, I got disorientated for a few moments. But soon I figured out it was only the microphone-voice of a man other then Lock saying:

"WELCOME TO THE KACKO'S DUEL MONSTERS TOURNAMENT!!! WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT TOURNAMENT IN STORE FOR ALL OF YOU!!!

"I TRUST YOU ALL KNOW WHY YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THIS TOURNAMENT—YOU ALL HAVE A PASSION FOR DUEL MONSTERS!!!! YOU ENJOY PLAYING FOR NOTHING OR EVERYTHING AND SUCH IS WISE IN THE SCHEME OF LIFE!!!!!

"THE RULES ARE SIMPLE...." He went on to explain them. I had long since covered my ears to try and block out the earsplitting noise. I was not concentrating on the rules. In my blindness, I didn't care. Tèa had pointed out the obvious, and it haunted me.

In all actuality, I had begun to leave when suddenly the speech ended. The noise just stopped abruptly. I sat down again. Everyone was leaving and moving around talking anxiously about the things just said that I had missed. That is, everyone but Yugi and his friends.

"Cool, sounds like fun you guys. It'll be nice to have to play a tournament for the sake of the world, again!" Some of them laughed but I was sort of stuck between worlds. I had missed everything, I wasn't supposed to be there, I couldn't be, and yet I felt like it was necessary.

"Let's go look around for someone willing duel the World Champ!" Tristan, I think said this. Yugi was only the World Champion because he had beaten me. That hurt.

"You wanna come, too, Kaiba?" I couldn't believe it. He had actually invited me to come along with his little group? Why? He better not take pity on me, I thought.

But I couldn't go with them. I had to go home. This was painful to say and think, but I managed, "No. I don't belong here." I got up again to go. Where the hell was Mokuba?

"Hey, Seto!" Ah, there he was. "I brought you a reason to stay!"

"So you decided to come, Seto Kaiba. Follow me then if you want to stay." Lock.

"No, I don't want to stay."

"Why? I can teach you to duel again."

"I don't want you teach me."

"Then what do you want?" What did I want if not to be taught? To learn by myself? That couldn't happen. I had to go with him, whether I wanted to or not.

"Fine, then." I picked up my brief case and tapped towards their voice, leaving Yugi and his friends, who had been witnesses to all this, behind me.

"You've made a considerably wise decision. Come." Mokuba took my arm, but Lock stopped him. "No, he can do it himself."

"Ummm....ok..." Mokuba had gotten used to our silent agreement of dependence. I wasn't so sure, either...I went in the direction I thought was Lock's voice and only stopped when I touched him with my cane.

"That's good, I guess, if you want to try and become a model." I didn't get the joke. Whatever, I could hurt him if I needed and he knew it, I think.

"Just show me what you came to do."

"Should I show you, or teach you?"

"There's no difference."

"Ah, but there is." He was a difficult one, and strange, too. I did not want to go with him at all, but what choice did I have? I wanted to learn how to duel again, and he was the only one who could teach me.

So I followed him, shakily, but in a constant direction to the place I would regain myself.


	7. The Ultimate Prize

Hello Seventh Chapter!!!! Ok, I totally understand if the last chapter was too long, but I had a lot to say, and I thought there were some important points I wanted to stress, so, there it goes. Thanks again for all those lovely reviews, I SOO appreciate it!!! A/N: Some parts in this chapter are only dialog, so you can skim those parts, but really this chapter gives a bit of background and a lot of lead in, so just be patient!

Disclaimer: Alright! I admit it! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! What are you gonna do to me, anyway?? Nothing??? That's what I thought.

**Chapter 7: The Ultimate Prize**

Following Lock to an unknown place was a unique experience. I knew I was headed...God only knows where. Lock seemed to be a very neurotic man...if not that, then a little weird. This gave a bad case of foreboding to me, at least.

If I ever have a chance, (and I haven't gotten one so far), I would love to find out what little Mokuba thought in these minutes we were following Lock to a new stage in our lives. He made no sound, Mokuba I mean, but his breathing was a little off. Too heavy. It sounded like he was drawing his last breaths from this world. Definitely not like Mokuba.

Lock drew us away from the crowd, (I knew because I heard the distance of the voices after a little while). I kept wondering if he was really blind or if it was all just a scandal. How could he walk without aid? It seemed...impossible...or was I just being closed minded? I would soon find out.

"Have you ever been to an amusement park, before, Mr.Kaiba?" Lock asked as we walked into a building that was heavily air conditioned, (always a semi-frightening experience to go into strange places. But, alas, I had no choice this time around). What the hell was he getting at with this question?

"No." In truth, I never had been to an amusement park. I don't think I ever really wanted to, either.

"Hmmm...shame. They are always such fun places." I just didn't know why he was trying to spark this particular conversation.

"Ok, what does this have to do with anything?"

"You shall find out." I think I should get one thing down before any story continues: If there is something that gets me down really, really low in anger it's inferiority. I can't help it. People think they have superiority then I have to knock them down. What can I say? I won't try to deny it, that's pointless. Remember this—it will explain some of my later actions.

I noticed that we just kept walking in this building. There were no stairs, no pieces of furniture, and no other people. We were just walking aimlessly. Where was Lock taking us, and why? I tried not to concentrate on the eeriness of the situation, and I know it was indeed quite eerie. There we were; lead by an untrustworthy blind man into the depths of...somewhere...for no reason I could understand.

It got very damp suddenly. Mokuba's grip became vice-like. "Seto," he said in a trembling voice. "There's no light here! It's pitch black!" This was interesting...maybe Lock didn't need any lights because he was blind and it would just be a waste of electricity. Or maybe not...maybe he was just trying to scare Mokuba.

But then Lock said, "Welcome to our world, young Kaiba. This is all I have seen, and all your brother will see."

"You're crazy!" Mokuba was just a little scared. "Seto, I want to go, now."

"It's alright Mokuba," I replied in a quiet voice. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to, but I will."

"But...how will you get back outside? You don't know the way!"

"I'll be fine, Mokuba."

He paused but eventually came out with, "...I'm staying. But I can't see anything."

"Suite yourself." It was funny how I could play Mokuba like that. I knew he would never, ever leave my side, (not after I was n that car accident). But I could offer his separation from me whenever he wanted to leave. Thus remind him silently, and mock-unintentionally, of the fact he could not go. Funny, but a bit cruel.

Mokuba tripped many times. It turned out that I was the one to catch him before he actually fell on the floor. That was sort of a twist. It was not an unfathomably long time ago that Mokuba was the one to catch me before I fell; a victim to my blindness.

There was a change in the floor. It turned from tile to wood, moaning under the weight of our feet. I heard Lock sit on a couch with shot springs. Mokuba and I stopped walking. Lock sighed, deeply. The tension was thick, Mokuba was scared, and I had had enough of the mystery.

"Mr.Kaiba," our gracious host began. "There is so much for you to learn, I just don't know where to begin." Now, he was implying superiority towards me. I decided to take this more seriously than first anticipated.

"Well, I guess you enjoy the fact that I rely on you for something. But, if you have paused for a moment there are a few things I need to ask."

"Go on."

"Are you really blind?"

"Yes, of course. I told you that before, did I not? Who told you first? Was it your secretary, or one of the guests here?"

"My secretary."

"Ah, she is useless."

"You have no idea. But, there's more. What do you do for a living?"

"I am a Kacko's Funeral Home gravedigger, with a passion for duel monsters." I knew it! I was right that time about the earthen smell.

"Kacko's? That was the name you used for the sponsors of this tournament."

"Heh...yes. I had no other name and in truth they are the only ones paying me so that's where I got the money for all this. So, technically, this is their tournament."

"Where are we?"

"My home, Mr.Kaiba! This is my lovely home."

"It's very cold in here..."

"I keep my extra supply of Kacko's dirt in here. It's a cheap way of keeping the place cool."

"You're kidding, right? Right, you're kidding?" Mokuba's voice dashed around the room in short gasps.

"Yes, of course. I just like the air conditioner on full blast. It gives it a damp effect, no?"

"That is very strange."

"Yes. Anymore questions?"

"Indeed. How is it, exactly, that you plan to teach me how to play the game again?"

"Well, it really isn't that hard to do, playing the game. But what I really want to teach you is how to do this thing blind."

"What thing?"

"Life."

I laughed a little then. "Sorry, I already know how to live, thanks."

"No you don't—you haven't even been to an amusement park!"

"Look, what are saying? You're trying to teach me how to be a fun-type-A guy?"

"No."

"Then what??" He really was babbling and losing all his logical arguments.

"The ultimate prize is what."

"And what is the ultimate prize?"

"You life."

I sighed. We were going in circles. "I thought we covered this already."

"Correction, you thought YOU covered this already. But I can see you still long to see and wish that you had not been blinded. You curse fate at night when you are all alone."

"I do NOT!"

"Yes you do. Don't lie."

"Fine, so I do. Why do you care?"

"Because, I understand why you feel that way. I felt it, too, my whole life. I was blinded when I was four from a car accident, just like you were. In fact, the accident killed my father and brother. My mother raised me, then and"—"Look, I really don't care about your life story, here!"

I shocked him, I think. I was loud, suddenly, and I startled him. He hesitated before saying, "...Alright. Let's not waste time. You're right. Come." He stood up and walked farther.

"Seto...I can't follow him..." Mokuba said.

"I know. But I can." I followed his faint footsteps. If it had not been for my cane, I would have crashed into quite a few walls. But, as it was, I did not and I tapped my way down a narrow hallway into another room.

"Took you long enough. Now come closer." Lock was over in a corner.

"Seto, there's light in here!" I did not answer him, I was still trying to decided whether or not to go near Lock.

"Do not help him, young Kaiba. Go and stand over there."

"But...!"

"No. Go over there." After a few seconds, Mokuba detached himself and stood away from me. I felt alone and quite a bit defenseless standing there. But I would not give up. Just like I had found that key, I would find Lock and play his little game.

In the direction of his voice, I came upon a chest, which I thought blocked my way. But then Lock said, "Open it." I felt around the front side until I came to a latch, large and easily undone, (useless for protection, but helpful for me).

I opened the box and reached inside. What I touched was so cold, and odd shaped, I paused. I realized it was not sharp in a few moments, and continued my run-down of it with my hands. Soon I knew what it was.

"Was this yours?"

"Yes. And now it is yours."

"I already have one."

"This one is better." Maybe it was. I took it out of the box and held it in my hands, (I had to drop my stick in order to fully grasp it, but I didn't mind). The wood was strong, cool, and gnarly. I liked it right away.

"Ok," I said. "If we're going to work together here, I have one request."

"Yes?"

"You have to take a shower first."


	8. The Girl

My eighth chapter arrives!! I know, I know, but don't get too excited-!!! Seriously, how did you like the last chapter? It wasn't too boring was it? I hoped it wouldn't be, but you never know what everyone else thinks. I really thank the people who review for encouraging me to continue. I needed it!!!

Disclaimer: No...Yu-gi-oh is not mine....but....maybe if I placed a picture of Kazuki Takahashi on my wall people would THINK it was me and.....

**Chapter 8: The Girl**

After Lock gave me his old cane, he told me to go home and that he would come and get me the next day. I refuse to admit that I was looking forward to the next day now, but I think you can already guess that.

So it was that Mokuba and I left his gloomy home and set out to the tournament grounds. Tapping my way along with Lock's cane felt different then it had been with my own little stick. The cane made a different sound when it hit the ground, more powerful and commanding, I suppose, and it gave me inner strength. Needless to say it felt better toting a large wooden cane than a pathetic plastic stick.

Somehow it had been a very long time that I was in Lock's home. There were not as many people around and only a few dueling, (who, by the way, Mokuba told me dueled with my duel-disk console even though it was not my tournament. Had Lock done that on purpose or was he just using the most readily available—and not to mention high-tech—means of dueling?). The night air felt cooler and damper, like it was late evening or early night.

I wished I could watch all the duels and see the strengths and weaknesses of each player. I liked doing that and did it every chance I got...before I was blind, I mean. I remembered my tournament and how, during the finals, I saw every duel on the blimp and on the top of my tower. I knew I would miss that immensely, no matter what Lock said or did.

We were just about to leave. Really, I mean we—Mokuba and I—were heading past the Domino clock tower, straight in the direction of my mansion. I was already thinking of what I would do when I got home, (run my company or sit and think for a long period of time, both of which lacked the zeal I was looking for on that particular night, but that was my life, so). Mokuba was asking me about dinner, if he should stop and get something on our way back, but I was only half-listening like always.

And then she showed up.

It was a strike of lightening to us. We hadn't noticed her presence in the slightest and I wouldn't even know who she was if I had sensed her there. But she walked up to us like it was the most natural thing in the world and said, "Hi, how are you guys doing?"

I recognized her voice as the one from before that I had not known. Why did it have to be her—that particular girl—when I didn't even know her name?

Thankfully, Mokuba picked up the slack and said, "Oh, hi Serenity! What's up?"

"Nothing...just wanted to say hi." That was the weirdest thing I had ever heard a human-being say in my entire life—and keep in mind I'm counting all my visits with Lock and my whole childhood here. But, her name was Serenity. That was different. I never really heard of someone who had a noun for a name, (except for Lock...I guess...). I remembered her now as Wheeler's little sister. He had belted her name out multiple times when he dueled in the finals against some of the toughest duelists there. She had cried a lot, too, and I remembered thinking of her as a weakling. There was no evidence at that time to make me change my assumption.

"What do you want?" I asked bluntly. Why was she wasting my time? If it really was just to say "hi" I had to break the conversation—as young and dull as it was.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you, Kaiba."

"Why?"

"Because...I just need to talk to you."

"Alone?" Mokuba asked, a little sheepishly, I thought. But who wouldn't be afraid to get left out?

"Ummm....if that's ok with you, Mokuba..."

"Why should it be ok with him? Please leave." I was not about to let her kick my brother aside so she could talk to me about nothing, if indeed that's what she wanted to do.

But slowly and to my utmost displeasure Mokuba said, "No Seto. You should talk to her. I'll go get something to eat and I'll meet you back here at 7:00. You'll know because the clock will chime. Have fun Seto!" and he was off. Just like that. Gone. I was alone with her. Really, Mokuba was very trusting of this almost-stranger.

But I could handle her. I turned to her direction. "What is it?" the sooner this was over the better, for me.

"Well...I don't really know where to begin...but...well, first, do you know who I am?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"No."

"Then I should say that I recognize your voice from my tournament and you're Wheeler's little sister...but I don't really know you."

"Ok. Well I used to be blind like you." Whoa, where did that come from? Just throw that out there, why don't you? "When I was little, my diabetes....it blinded me"—I had heard of that happening, but I never knew anyone who had it—"and I needed surgery. So Joey entered the duelist kingdom tournament to try and win the money prize to pay for it, because my family did not have the money for that, you know. He told me he won, but I found put later that he got second place and Yugi gave him the money that he really won...but yeah, you don't care about that...anyway...I just wanted to say that...well...I just wanted to let you know that..."

"What?"

"That...I'm here for you if you need me." Way to put to the awkwardness on me. But seriously, I don't know if she thought she was just being nice or really nice—humanitarian-like—but either way she had gone a little too far for me. She had made me feel inferior and a little helpless again, like I had in the beginning, and I could not go back to that.

So, I came out with what I thought was reasonable. "Look, I don't need your help or your understanding. And the last thing I need is your pity. So, if you would be so kind, take your compassion somewhere else—like maybe to someone who cares."

She was silent then. But she didn't leave. After about five minutes she said, "So...what you're saying to me is 'Don't waste your kindnesses'? Ok. Maybe next time I won't. But you have to know something: People all around you are trying to reach you and you continue to fight them. You're not hurting anyone but yourself. If you could only see that, maybe you would be a nicer person to hang around." Without another word she left.

What in all the hells was that about? She told me that I was hurting myself because I had no one to hang around and maybe I'd be a nicer person if I realized it? That made no sense at all. Maybe the sooner she realized that she was making no sense she would be a better person to talk to. But whatever. Her matters didn't concern me and in truth I cared so little about her and her life that she had actually bored me.

Mokuba came back at 7:00, just like he said he would and the clock tower boomed out its nauseating music to let the whole world know. He asked me if I had a nice time. I answered him honestly, "No." I guess he didn't like that because we walked home in silence, (a sort of punishment for me because I needed to hear his voice to live).

It had been a frightfully long day. I just wanted sleep.

It was to no avail a peaceful sleep. Like always, I dreamt that he was calling me and I couldn't go to him and then he became angered and demanded I come to him right that instant. Next, he was supposed to spit out Lock's old words about my soul. But he didn't. Now he presented me with Serenity's words but they were slightly different:

_"Seto! I demand that you come here right this instant!"_

_"I CAN'T!!!"_

His voice changed into Serenity's, (sort of freakishly, as a matter of fact). _"You're a horrible person, Seto! Everyone's trying to help you and what do you do? You spit in their faces and act all mean again! I hate you!" _

And then I woke up, very shaken. But, I felt like I didn't have a right to be. Serenity had given me a childish, unreasonable insult. What did I care if she thought I was a big "meanie" and she hated me? Why did that hurt me?

By the time I had finished sorting my thoughts, I was so confused I needed sleep again. I refused to allow this, though. I did not need to be asleep to get insulted, it seemed, so why even try?

I got up and reached for my gnarly cane. Was it next day, yet? I couldn't tell—there was no clock in the house I could read. I decided to sit and work on some Kaiba Corp. things to clear my head of the current problems.

To hell with it all. If Serenity Wheeler had a problem with me, she could alert the media. I had better things to do then listen to a little girl whine about her life and tell me I was a horrible person. I mean, if I wanted someone to do that, why not just go outside and ask for everyone's opinion of me lately?


	9. The Honey Dukes

Once again, I apologize for the delay. Of late, I have been feeling rather "under the weather", and it affected my writing frequency. Anyway, if anyone finds this chapter a little weird, go ahead and blame it on that! A/N: Ok, so I thought there was an actual candy called a honey duke, but then I asked everyone ad they said there was no such thing. But it was too lat to change. So, I made it up for the story, ok? Just use the context to figure out what it is. In response to a frequent reviewer:

Game and Watch Forever: Let me start by saying that I thank you for all your reviews, the many they were-, and for your encouragement. It is so nice to have someone keeping up with the story line and caring about it. Your recognized the symbolism? Wow, I didn't think anyone would. Yes the seventh chapter was confusing, I was kind of blocked when I wrote it so. You know, I don't think I have the skill for writing professionally, but thank you for suggesting it! That's a good comment! As for the Lock and key combination symbolism, I have to admit something: I didn't do that on purpose! I wanted a strong name so I picked Lock, which was short but steadfast, you know? But you're right, that's cool. I'm SOOOOOOOOOO glad you think this story that much. I want to keep writing it now. Read chapter nine, please. I want to know what you think of this one!

Disclaimer: Do I still have to say it? It's getting kind of redundant.....ok, fine here it goes for the ninth time: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**Chapter 9: The Honey Dukes **

Soon after I finished my work on Kaiba Corp., I felt the tension in the air. The deep breath and hold-out before the storm. It's strange; when I could see, I don't think I really noticed how different the world was before it rained—(other than the dark clouds that crept in unexpectedly)—but when I was blind, I knew the rain was coming because I felt it. Weird, but intriguing.

The rain itself was intriguing. I didn't really need my sight for it. I felt it as if I were a part of it—feeling where the rain would fall how hard and how fast for how long. I had lost myself in it unknowingly. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. I liked it.

Mokuba came downstairs when the rain started, (he never liked the rain, even when we were kids. He hated thunder and to him rain was just the accessory of it). I figured it was next day already.

"Seto, because it's raining, I don't think we're gonna be able to go back to Lock's house, again." Mokuba never went outside when it poured as much as it did that day.

But I wanted to be outside in the storm. I wanted to feel the raindrops on my face and forget about my life for just one second. I was acting crazy, I know, but this was what I wanted to do.

"We will Mokuba, the rain won't last all day." As much as I didn't want it to end, I had to respond to Mokuba logically.

"Ok...but we won't be early..."

"No." I got up and tapped down the stairs. I opened my front door and felt the rain come into the house a little bit. Only the spray.

"Seto, what are you doing?!" Mokuba knew I was too reserved to do something like this—I knew I was too reserved to do something like this. But, what the hell, my life had changed and I was realizing that I was slowly changing right along with it.

I stepped outside and into the rain. Standing in it, I felt it pour over me and seep into me skin—drenching me, really. I sat down on the driveway as it engulfed me.

I sat for about an hour or so in the pouring rain, right up until it stopped. I had sworn that I wouldn't go in until then. I needed to get sort of dried off before I went down to Lock's, so I went back into my house, dripping wet, straight upon a stunned Mokuba. "Seto! What was the point of that?! Now you're all wet and we can't go to Lock's until you're dry." As he talked I tapped my way up the stairs and to a nice, clean towel. "You could have gotten struck by lightening! And..."

"I couldn't have gotten struck by lightening Mokuba," I explained as I wiped my face. "There wasn't any lightening or thunder." But if there had been, that would be a treat for my ears. "Besides, I wasn't the tallest or most conspicuous thing out there that would attract any electric currents. Calm down. I just needed to do that. No harm done."

"Yeah, well, I still don't like it."

"I'm not asking you to." And I wasn't. I didn't need anyone's permission to go ahead and do something like that—least of all, my little brother's. So if he had a problem with it, I felt that was really too bad.

After that, Mokuba realized I was meant to be left alone and he departed. I had to switch into another outfit, which was easier said than done, as most things were then, because I couldn't wear anything with buttons, snaps or buckles, lest I would attach them incorrectly and look like a fool. So, it was a little while before Mokuba and I set out again for the Domino clock tower.

There were not many people dueling and competing that day because of the storm, but this didn't bother me much. The less people to bother me the better. Plus, it meant that Serenity had a lesser probability of being there, an even greater effect. There were, however, many puddles in which to splash in accidentally—or actually, as it was in my case, splash onto yourself by the large, wooden cane you were protruding in front of you every five seconds to keep your bearings straight. Tedious, but unavoidable.

Mokuba remembered precisely which building it was that Lock lived in, luckily. By the time we reached the darkened hallway, Lock already knew we were there. "Ah, Mr.Kaiba, and the young Kaiba! You decided to come back, I realize. Welcome once again to my humble home. I took a shower a while ago. Happy?"

"You really are strange, if I failed to mention that before," I said, acknowledging his old greeting.

"I believe you did not. How do you like my cane?"

"It's very sturdy, I have to say." I wasn't going to tell him how much inner strength it gave me, or how precious it was to me.

"Indeed. It gives one inner strength as well, does it not?" Damn mind reader.

"I suppose."

"Hmm. Well, I'm glad it was put to good use. Now, let me ask you. Do you have your duel monsters deck with you now?" So, that was the first lesson.

Unfortunately, "No, I don't have my deck right now." I guess I messed up with that, but really I didn't know what I needed at all in the first place, so you can't blame me.

"Why not?"

"Because it didn't occur to me."

"Well, why were you here in the first place? To come with nothing and expect everything?"

"Yes. Now go cry about my little mistake and take some time to think up more insults." I could tell you one thing; I was not there to get insulted.

"Later. Presently we need to continue our session." That's what we were calling it now, a "session"? "Come." I followed him without any expectations as to what I was getting myself into this time.

We walked down a new hallway, I could tell because it smelled sweet—like candy, almost—and the floor was carpeted, not wooden. I wondered how big his home was, I never asked Mokuba if it was a skyscraper or a hut, and how many rooms he had. If it was too big, he could have anything here, but then he was a grave-digger. I mean, they don't pay those guys with the shovels leaning on the tombstone, smoking a cigarette next to a horde of grieving people and a priest, waiting for the sermon to end so they can drop condemned soil onto an even more condemned body and do their jobs much, do they? If so, that was news to me.

I was brought out of my grave-digging thoughts by a very oppressive smell. The smell of a genuine candy store. Seriously, I smelled it all, every type of candy: The sugary sweet smell of cotton candy strongest of all, artificially flavored raspberry and strawberry lollipops, sweet-yet-sour lemon drops, sticky honey dukes, the darker smells of chocolate truffles and licorice, fine-powdered scented cinnamon sticks, and, for some reason, granular coffee beans. All in all, it was a very disgusting place.

"Wow...Seto...this is like a candy store and a bakery and a coffee shop all in one! Everything here looks so good to eat!"

"Why do you have this in your home?" I asked.

"Why not? I'm afraid I have a bit of a sweet tooth and just need some candy every now and then and approximately twelve times a day." I guess he did get paid a lot of money to have this whole sweet-shop thing in his house. Was it all in grave-digging, (if so then, hell, everyone should be a grave-digger)?

"Mr.Kaiba, do you like candy?"

"No."

"Yeah...that was a stupid question..." He paused for a moment. "Well, if you had to pick a favorite"—"I don't like nor eat candy of any kind." What was so hard here?

"Ok, fine. Young Kaiba? What is your favorite candy?"

"Umm...gee...I don't know..." Mokuba loved candy. He always did when we were kids and even now he always enjoyed it. There wasn't really a lot of candy in our house because I had no use for it, and really it was bad for Mokuba so I kept it scarce, but when he found some—any kind—he enjoyed it. "There are so many good kinds!"

"Yes I know. Which one would you like now?"

"Umm....I guess, the honey dukes—they look so good!" He giggled at the end.

"Do they? Hmmm, I always imagined they would, but I never actually asked anyone else. Very well, then young Kaiba. Mr.Kaiba, go get your brother his candy." Wait, what?

"No, that's ok; I can get it myself..."

"No, I think Mr.Kaiba would like to get you one of them himself. And don't knock anything over with your cane on the way, Mr.Kaiba. I worked very hard to get this place organized."

Now this was pointless. When in my life was I going to need to sniff out a honey duke in a pile of candy? When is that important? I wasn't going to argue, though. I knew what Lock was trying to do; have me use my sense of smell in a difficult situation and test how strong it was and how well I could maneuver. Well, I could do that. I'd been in worse scenarios in all honest truth. "Fine," I told him, accepting his challenge. "I'll get it for you Mokuba."

If I was only as strong internally as I was vocally. Oh well, it was too late by then. I stepped out in front of me, unsure at first. Hesitantly, I tapped with may cane and hit only carpet. Trying my luck, I did this again, and again and again, all the while trying to orient where exactly the drippy honey scent was coming from. But...it was only getting fainter as I walked. I realized I was heading in the wrong direction. I turned a little bit, closer in the path of the smell I wanted, and tapped slowly in that direction. Feeling luckier and stronger with each unblocked step, I moved until I suddenly hit something. It made a sharp ding on the side of my cane. I stopped abruptly, nervous.

"No those are the truffles," Lock's voice had come back. Careful, I keep them in a glass show-case that's easily broken." Right...I had noticed the smell of chocolate nearing me as I neared the honey. Maybe this wasn't as hard as it seemed.

I ran my cane gently along the show-case until I reached the corner. I then slid it along the other side of the truffles until it was no more. Now I had to find the honey dukes. The smell was close. I was able to detect the exact place of it somehow. It was like an image in my head: the coffee in front of me...a little to the right then the licorice...more to the right, (as I imagined this I walked in the path)...the honey dukes! When I reached them I tapped the show case with my cane.

"Yeah, those are the right ones!" Mokuba said happily.

"Now, get a napkin and give one to your brother." Dear me, what a slave driver Lock was. He was right, though. The honey dukes were sticky and very warm—it seemed he was cooking them rotisserie style in the showcase. I scoped out the top of the case for a napkin holder, trying very hard not to burn myself, with my hands. When I found it I nearly knocked it over. But I got a napkin nonetheless.

I didn't think I needed a key to open the show case because Lock couldn't do that every time he wanted a honey duke. So, I felt down the front of the case until I reached the sliding door stub. I stuck my hand into the warm case hoping I would stick onto one of the candies. I accidentally stuck my finger in the middle of one—burning it a little bit because they were so fresh—but Mokuba wouldn't mind. I wrapped the napkin around the candy, picked it off the rotisserie stick and closed the sliding door.

Gingerly, I tapped back to my starting point, offered the honey duke to Mokuba and said, "Here, enjoy." He took it from me and I felt accomplished. Really, I felt like I just graduated college I was so proud, but I kept my face blank and emotionless in case there was something else to be done.

"Good job, Seto!" Mokuba had his mouth full of my prize, and I was glad he enjoyed the gooey, sugary, honey soaked sweet. I nodded in acknowledgement.

"That took excruciatingly long." Of course, Lock was unsatisfied. I didn't care in the slightest.

"If you wanted it done faster you could have gotten it yourself."

"But then you would have learned nothing."

"Exactly. I did learn something. I have to say that, at least."

He laughed and said, "That's good! Excellent! You're making slow progress. Enjoy your honey duke, young Kaiba, your brother earned it well."

"Yep! It's really good!"

"Isn't it? Well, I think that's enough for today. Come back tomorrow."

"Bye, Lock!" We turned and walked out. I wasn't going to say good-bye, why would I?

"Good-bye, Kaiba brothers. Until the next day." So we left. Mokuba munched on his honey duke all the way home.

It had been a very interesting day. I didn't meet that oddity Serenity again, though. For some reason I couldn't stop thinking about her and what she said. I kept working up new come-backs to say if I ever came across her again. Eventually, I almost wanted to catch her walking by me once more or something. It was strange...then.

At home, it started to rain again. This time I was ready for it. It was too late to stand outside, but I leaned against the window and felt and heard the little taps of the rain drops bounce off of it. I thought it was strange that Lock hadn't mentioned the rain in our "session". Did he enjoy it as much as I did? Perhaps not. No, definitely not. What was I? Did it make any sense that just because Lock was blind like me he had to like the noise of the rain? No, it didn't. He didn't have to like anything I liked. Really there was no similarity between us. But...Serenity...did she like the rain? Oh, why couldn't I stop thinking about her?


	10. The Honor of Dueling a Blind Man

So, this is an adventure of words, as my teacher would say. I am writing this story for your pleasure, and my ultimate fun. How's it coming out so far? Nice? Thank you to everyone who reviewed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Response:

Evilchristy: Ah yes, Honeydukes from Harry Potter. You know I haven't read those books in so long I totally forgot about the whole thing, anyway thanks for clearing that up for me, (and yes in my little world they do taste good!). So, you like blindfics? ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I probably will write another one after this, (maybe, if this one keeps doing well and if I don't get killed with the homework!). I just had to keep Kaiba In Character for this story; it wouldn't be cool if he was all weak!

Disclaimer: Yes, yes, just in case you missed it the first nine times, here it is again, No I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Oh, and there are some book references in this chapter, too, I don't own any of those either.

**Chapter 10: The Honor of Dueling a Blind Man**

So it was that I went to Lock's home every day of my life after that. I got better, more and more, little by little, each time. Soon, I was doing things I never thought possible; pouring drinks, walking through the town by myself, cooking—(that was particularly hard, but I managed)—and all such things.

Needless to say I was proud of myself, but still hesitant. Whenever someone asked me to do when of my skills, (don't think they're anything special, the skills are just normal things people who can see do every day and take for granted, but that I had to train to accomplish), or if I had to, I always stopped before just doing it. It was habit. My mind told me, "No, you can't do that," but when I stopped to thin about it, there was a dawning that suddenly proclaimed, "Yes, yes you were taught that. Go do it." As was the way with me for a long time after.

Still, in spite of all the "skills" Lock taught, duel monsters was acutely, and almost ironically, left out. I remember it was many weeks before Lock ever mentioned the very subject again. It was on a Saturday—a very unique Saturday indeed; one with much significance in my life for more than one reason.

"Kaiba," (he dropped the "Mr." after we got to know each other, and it was apparent that this had happened long ago, I think on the fourth time I went there when he finished his life-story, but I'll mention that more later), "I have taught most of everything there is to be taught to one such as you. Except for one thing. Your passion, duel monsters."

"I've noticed that." We were sitting in his "dark room", the room with no lights that Mokuba was afraid of. Mokuba was not there that day; I had begun going by myself because it just came to me one day that I could.

"Well, do you have your deck with you today?" He knew the answer, but still he had to ask.

"Yes, I do."

"Then take it out." I reached into my trench-coat's upper-left-inside-pocket and rummaged for the plastic case I kept my deck in. "It's in my hand now," I told Lock, (I guess some people will think it's weird, but we often had to narrate our actions to each other because, the both of us being blind, we couldn't see what the other was doing).

"Good." I heard him get up off his chair and move toward me. He asked for my deck, I slowly felt around for his hand and placed it in there. He walked away.

"What are you doing?" I stood up immediately. I couldn't help it—I trusted Lock, yes, I had known him for so long. But, I was still very protective over my deck. Who knew where he was going with it?

Lock did not answer me, so I followed him, or the sound of his footsteps, to another room. I knew this room. It was the room in which he had given me my cane, the cane that I still used and didn't think I would ever get rid of.

"Do you know how to read the Braille system, Kaiba?"

"...No." Oh, how I missed reading. Poe, Hawthorne, Shakespeare, Thoreau, Tolkein, King, Bradbury, Orwell, Twain, Iliad and the Odyssey, Bronte sisters, To Kill a Mockingbird....oh there were so many books I wanted to search over the seas of words that drew, with inky fingers, pictures—either elegant or not, depending on the story—in my mind's eye. Oh well.

"No? Don't you like to read?"

What could I say? I settled on, "Yes."

"Well, then why don't you know how to read Braille?"

"If you can find time in my schedule to learn a different language, I'd be happy to listen."

"Fine. You're only making it more difficult on yourself." I waited. Surely he did not want to lecture me on how I should learn Braille instead of teaching me...something. He continued after a little bit, "Now, I can feel how your cards are almost immaculately clean. That's very good, but it will have to change."

"What?" No force, in hell, heaven or earth, could make me purposely dirty my cards. A long time ago, they were all I had. My children, my life. No, I would not willfully harm them.

"You'll have to mark these up a little."

"Hmm....no." No. Umm...no.

"Well, you'll have to, if you want to play again. What's the big deal?"

"It's a very big deal, Lock. These cards are important to me."

"I'm not saying ruin them! I'm just saying you will need to make a few marks on them."

"Finish your explanation." Sometimes he only gave me half of what needed to be said—"a little shock treatment", he had called it. It was annoying.

"If we make a system of marks on your cards, and you can memorize which marks match which card, you can play with ease. The marks would have to be on the front side, of course to allow no cheating."

"So you're saying we can make our own system of Braille and use that as a way of identifying the cards?"

"We wouldn't have to make-up our own system, if you had the patience—no I'm sorry the time—to learn the real system."

"Whatever. This could work, but identifying the cards isn't the only problem. What happens if I want to get new cards? What if my opponent lies when he says he plays a weak card, and really played a powerful card, or something of the sort?"

"I think you're getting ahead of yourself, but, really, you can always choose an honorable opponent who WON'T lie and have someone as a witness if you are not sure. Mokuba could help you if you wanted to mark some other cards or something, this is not difficult. Actually, I guess it is for you. In order to do this, you have to trust someone." He was right. Being blind meant having to rely on someone else for the things you just couldn't do anymore.

Suddenly, and rather inexplicably, I was reminded of Serenity's old words. "...if you could only see that maybe you would be a nicer person to hang around." Still, even though it was SO long ago that I had talked to her, her imprint was embedded in my mind. What she said was irrelevant, I hadn't forgotten or changed my mind about that, but maybe—just maybe, now—she had meant to say what Lock just said: In order to do this, you have to trust someone. Maybe she had known that trust was essential to living in blindness, maybe she didn't, but I understood her a little better now.

To remain on track, (a task so hard to do when I began thinking of Serenity), Lock called me over and we called for Mokuba's help in figuring out which card was which, (neither of us could see what the cards were, and Mokuba was the only one I trusted so he had to help). It took a while for him to get there, and even longer for him to understand why Lock was about to take a carving knife to my duel monsters cards, but eventually we got it.

As Lock and Mokuba set to the notching, I set to the rather difficult job of memorizing which marks went with which card. I was to have a test when they were all finished, so I had to do well on this. I thought I was doing fairly well, until, of course, Lock came to my Blue Eyes. My protest was inevitable. No one, nothing, not a soul in this world could mark my Blue Eyes. No.

"Seto, it's ok. It's only a way to duel again," Mokuba attempted to persuade me.

"No, you're not carving into my Blue Eyes. There are only three whole ones in the world left and you are not touching them."

"That's fine, Kaiba." This was a surprise.

"What?" Mokuba asked, (just as daunted as I was).

"If the Blue Eyes are the only cards in your deck that are not marked, you can easily recognize them, no?" Of course he was right. It was the embodiment of perfection for my precious cards. Blue Eyes White Dragons weren't meant to be cut up just so you could use them. I understood that—more than anyone after I had destroyed that one when I was still the World Champion. They would remain unmarked so as to remind me of what they were—a clean slate for a blind man to read unaltered. I think I loved that most of all.

I did well on the test of the cards, as I calculated I would, but just not on the first attempt. It took several tries to fully memorize all those imperfect scratches, but I did get it eventually.

After everyone's patience had been thoroughly tested along with my memorization skills, I was "ready". "Ready to duel?" Lock asked. My mind was physically unable to comprehend if he was asking me a question or telling me I was. Surely, I couldn't duel yet...it was too soon...but maybe...

"Well, are you ready to duel?" Now I was sure: It was a question. But....really I wasn't ready...No I was. I had to be. I could never be more ready now. Mokuba was by my side as witness, Lock would be there, Serenity and the cards, (the two most lingering thoughts of mine), were still fresh in my mind.

"Yes."

"Ok, let's go."

The first person I dueled was a novice. A true novice. Second rate and truly inconsequential: Joey Wheeler. I believe it started somehow like this:

I was walking with Lock and Mokuba searching for a good duelist, (a beginner to challenge me, as I was a beginner in all actuality just then), when suddenly we heard, "Hey, Kaiba!" I knew the voice.

"What, Wheeler?"

"Isn't this tournament for people who can duel?"

"I guess you noticed I'm wearing a duel disk. Very perceptive."

"Yeah, why are you?"

"Well, it's my model, Wheeler. I can wear it whenever I want to, remember that. But, I think it always looks better if the person who does decide to put it on can duel, so I figured it was right for me."

"What?"

"Oh, I'm sorry was that too confusing for you? Let me explain: I can duel, now, Wheeler." Never would I be humble to one such as him.

"You think you still have the skill to challenge me?"

"Of course." Why couldn't I?

"Fine let's go!"

"Ok." So we dueled. Mokuba and Lock had sworn to stay out of who I choose to duel, so that was no problem, and they had promised that if anyone tried any funny stuff, they would be on them like white on rice—(or, well, that was Mokuba who said that. Lock just kind of grunted in confirmation). But, it seemed that their skills as far as the former were not needed: Wheeler dueled pretty honestly. This helped me, but, as sorry as it is to say, not him.

I won the duel.

"No...I lost..." He took it pretty hard. I guess anyone would, as far as loosing to a blind man who has been your worst enemy for a while before he was blind. Oh well.

But, I had to admit something. There was a time, while we were dueling, that I truly thought I would loose. I couldn't let him just go on believing that a blind man had beaten him with ease. "Hey, Wheeler," I said, moving toward his direction. "You put up a fight. Thank you for opting to teach me how to do this again."

"Huh?"

"Thanks for dueling me. I needed to learn this thing one more time."

He stood up. "Yeah, how did you even know what cards you were playing?" I told him. "Wow, that's pretty smart."

"Yes I know. For further detail talk to that man over there." I pointed in Lock's direction. I knew he could hear us talking, though we were far away and Mokuba was jumping for joy. His hearing was accelerated, too. It turns out that not only could he hear us, but he wanted to be involved. He waved at Wheeler and said, "Yep." I assume Wheeler waved back, but I don't know.

"Hey, Kaiba, why are you being so nice to me? I mean usually when you beat me you throw it all up in my face, but...not this time...why?"

"I don't know. Just take advantage of it, will you?" But I did know. I knew that I had trusted him with something, loosing to me, and he did loose. Not purposely, of course, but I doubted whether Wheeler did anything purposely. So, I thanked him and the unexpected happened.

Serenity showed up.


	11. Of Love

Yes, long update time...27 days!!!! So sorry!!! But this is one of the longest chapters ever so...you know it had to take me forever. Rating had to go up for this chapter...sorry for all who like the PG. A/N when Seto speaks out of the story it is written like this: _Seto's admonition_. Once again, my reviewers...YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! Response:

Living Arrow: THANK YOU! I love when someone points out my mistakes, because it helps me with my writing, (which in all honesty could be improved, you know?), so I have to say that I thank you for noticing my error in the last chapter. If you want to look back to it, I fixed it and everything is fine, so future readers won't point and laugh at me-! Thanks again!

Lady Moofin: Oh, thank you kindly!!!!!!! This is your Seto/Serenity Chapter, (and I did put a little, teensy bit, of Joey-bashing.) Hope you like it!!!!!!!!

CaptainInuyasha777: I am so glad you like this story so much! Thank you kindly for taking the time to read it, (and in the process not do your homework), and please let me know what you think of this one!

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, I'll tell you what I would do with it: Write so many pro-Kaiba episodes, no one would watch the show anymore! But I'd be happy.....anyway, the fact remains that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Sorry Seto!

**Chapter 11: Of Love**

_Preface from the Narrator: If you were to listen to my retelling of what happened next, I'm sure you would not believe me. Hell, sometimes I don't even believe it myself, looking back on it._

_So, I have decided to tell it in a normal way—quite unlike what actually happened, (it is enjoyable more to me, really)._

That day, when I heard Serenity walking toward me with all the grace of a lioness, I knew something was about to change....I felt it. It was bound to happen, I had known it and—

Damn. This isn't working. Ok, no more lies. This is what really happened.

Serenity stood behind me in a semi-natural way. I could hear her breathing rhythmically, _in...out...in...out_. Why had she come back? Obviously for Wheeler. He had lost to me, again, and she was bound to cheer him up. It was not for me. I thought, why would it be?

"Hey, Joey. Kaiba." The last greeting she spat out, I was detached from her repertoire, I suppose, at the time. I noticed she had left out Mokuba and Lock, but then Mokuba said, "Umm....we'll just be going now...." I already heard the two backing up. So much for their promise to stay by me.

"Yes....(good idea, young Kaiba)....bye!" Lock. That dirty old man!

Pretending not to notice, or not to care about, I left it up to the Wheelers to decide, their sudden leave, I spat back Serenity's heartless greeting, "Serenity."

"What's up, lil' sis'?" Oh, right. She was Wheeler's little sister. I had almost forgotten. How different could they be?

"Nothing. Want to leave this place?" She was being cruel, and I knew it was because of me and what I had said to her the other day. How childish her plot was.

"Yeah...pretty much...Just one more thing Kaiba. I just want to let you know that one day I will beat you at this game."

"Yeah, and maybe I'll still be alive by the time that happens." Serenity had ruined my sympathy for the poor bird-dog. Besides, our duel was over. Our "friendship" wouldn't—and couldn't—be permanent.

"Hey, what was that?"

"It's called an insult, Wheeler, I'll offer you lessons sometime if you want."

"Hey, fine! I was just trying to be nice. Let's go, Serenity." And good riddance.

"Wait." Serenity stopped their departure. How long would this take? "Kaiba, you didn't even listen when I was talking to you the other day did, you?"

"No, I did listen. I just didn't care." There's a difference.

"Well, I think that's a shame."

"You don't exactly have the way with words you think you do, let me just say that."

"No?"

"No."

"Hmm....some people don't think so. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people. Let me repeat what I said."

"Really, you don't have to."

"I think I should."

"I think you should, too," Wheeler's annoying voice floated over our ears to remind us that he was still there—and that Serenity had somehow omitted the conversation she and I had that day. "You never even told me you had talked to Kaiba before now!"

"...I didn't?" Ah! I detected it. The blank second in her speech—the nervous hesitation. She knew very well that she hadn't mentioned it to her brother, (how smart she was not to, though). She was lying. I liked it.

"No, you didn't. Why not?" He was demanding her to tell him.

"Well, I guess I forgot, I mean, I meant to tell you and all that....but I guess I just didn't...umm..." She sounded like Lola, my secretary then. I sneered inwardly.

"You forgot?"

"Umm...yea....I guess..." If I could have seen her, I would say that she didn't have a very good poker face.

"Fine. Whatever. Go on with what you were saying."

"No, please don't." Really, I had heard her speech enough times in my sleep; I didn't need her to say it again.

"Kaiba, she can and she will." Why was Wheeler talking again? Hadn't he tortured us enough already?

"Wheeler, stop talking."

"WHY??" He seemed to spontaneously explode. I was caught off guard for one second and actually had enough surprise in me to raise an eyebrow!

"Why not? You're only making a fool—I'm sorry, even more of a fool—of yourself every time you open your damn mouth, anyway." Some people say I'm mean. I think I just speak my mind.

"KAIBA!!! Why YOU!!!!" I heard him running towards me. I knew what he would do. (A/N: Joey's really stupid in my stories. Sorry to all Joey fans! Please forgive me!) I was ready. Lock had trained me well.

When he swung at me with a sloppy, anger-induced blow, I dodged it easily. He tried again. I could hear and feel his hand slicing through the wind as he missed once more. Basically, in this particular fight, I was on the defense. I could have hit him if I wanted to, but that would have been like a shot-gun wielding hunter killing a rabbit—too easy and unfairly matched. (A/N: yes, I'm very against hunting. Deal with it all you hunters out there reading this story.)

Suddenly, "Stop, Joey!" The silky flow of Serenity's words washed over us like water over a dying man's throat. She did not scream, but rather announced it powerfully to make the crazy blows stop charging at me.

"How could you?" she asked, obviously hurt. Wheeler was in trouble now.

"Serenity...he was disrespecting you...." Wheeler was rearranging the dust on the ground with his foot in remorse, I could hear it. I bet he had his hands held behind his back, too, the coward.

"It doesn't matter, Joey! Too much physical violence! Go home!"

"What about you?"

"I'm staying! To have a human conversation with Se—Kaiba." Was she honestly going to call me Seto? What had changed?

"Ok.....but if he touches you I'll"—"Joey go home!"

"Ok....bye...." He began trudging away, sorrowfully.

"Bye, Wheeler," I said. "Don't kill any cats on your way back."

"Shut-up."

Once he was gone, we could talk. I was surprised how much I wanted to talk to her now, it had been like a prize or something at the end of a long, (and dangerous), wait.

"You know sometimes he just....I don't know...." Serenity seemed full of regret over what Wheeler did—maybe even more than he did. Was she always like that? She must have gotten embarrassed a lot; the boy was no stranger to fighting, I could tell by the way his fist stabbed at me, (in the darkness I saw, I could pin-point exactly where he would be striking and they were all major hit points that a novice would not know to hit at).

"I'm sorry." She didn't really have to apologize......should I tell her?

"You don't have to apologize for him."

"Really?"

"Of course. Why is he your problem?"

"I guess you're right." She was silent then. I could sense the change of the day into early evening. It was cooler and crickets had just begun to chirp. In fact, I think Serenity found it very romantic.

"Hey, umm, it's kind of late." I know. "I don't really want to go home and face Joey when he gets into one of his moods, like, now. So, umm, can I stay at your place for a little bit?"

Of course not, how could she even think such a thing? She was too forward with it, too sudden. But, yet, I told her, "Fine, but not the whole night. Mokuba doesn't like when strangers sleep over." That was a lie, and a stupid one. Mokuba loved having guests over. And he loved sleepovers. I was the one who couldn't stand having unknown people spending the night in my house. I don't know why, but it gave me a sense of unease to know that someone I didn't know was helplessly unconscious in one of my rooms. Again, I don't know why.

"Oh, ok. I wasn't going to spend the night....I was just going to spend a little time...yeah." She was the uneasy one. I could understand why.

"Come on, give me your arm," I demanded sullenly.

"Why?"

"We're going to walk to my mansion. I need to know that you're still there."

"O..k...fine." She gave me her arm and I quickly wrapped it in mine, protecting it form the night chill, (accidentally?). Serenity did not realize that I could hear and feel her walking away from me even if she was across the street on a crowded Saturday. I just wanted to hold her arm and make sure she couldn't get away...I think.

I turned in the direction I knew lead to home. I set to tap out with my cane automatically and I hit Serenity's leg. She was very close to me.

"Ouch!" She said. "That hurt!"

"Sorry, but it happens." It didn't. Mokuba was the only one I had ever clung to, and he never ever stood that near to my cane—he knew to keep a sharp distance away from the hunk of pure wood when I was wielding it. Why didn't she?

"Did you happen to notice which way Lock and Mokuba went when they left?" I asked. I knew they had gone this way, I could hear it, but after a certain amount of time their footsteps died away from my ears—out of my range. They were lost to me after that.

"Well, they went this way first, but I didn't really follow them." Great. Now I would have to wait and be surprised when I got home to find out if Mokuba ever got back. That was wonderful, really.

We were silent as that thought concluded itself. I was thinking about what Serenity wanted from me and why I was so willing to let her into my home. This subject took a fair amount of time to think over, as a matter of fact.

Naturally, Serenity was the one to break the silence. "How have you been?"

What the hell? What question....what? "Fine." Huh? What were we saying? It was like some code. Translation, (not exact, translator is not fluent in current language):

"How have you been?" "Have you been thinking about me?"

"Fine." "Yes."

(Next steps in conversation) "Good." "Really?"

"I should say." "I should say."

".......I've been good too." "I've been thinking about you, too."

"Lovely." "Just great."

"You know, I've been busy." "I've been thinking about you a lot."

"Same." "Same."

"Wow, this is really boring!" (End of translation) She broke the chain.

"How exciting did you want it to be?"

"I don't know...a little."

"Well, don't worry. This is the last turn and then we arrive at my house."

"You're is my house, after all..." What kind of question was that? I went this way almost every day, how could I not know which turn leas to which house and such? But then....she had noticed my blindness....and it was only recently that I had begun to do this, so I guess....whatever. It mattered not.

I heard our footsteps echo loudly as our surroundings became less and less crowded. My mansion was in an area all by itself, I had no neighbors or anything, (it was nice). As we neared the front of the building, (that's what it really was, it wasn't just like a house, it was a building), Serenity gasped and proclaimed, "Wow! It's so big! How do you get around in there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your house—sorry, mansion!—is so huge, I don't think you can get around in it!"

I went on the defense. "Why, because I'm blind?" My tone was angered.

"Oh, no, I meant, wouldn't you loose your way? I bet you've never even been in some rooms!"

"Of course you're wrong," I said, still mad, but leading to the enormous, rod-iron gate in front of my mansion. "I spent time one day going through every room. I'm not saying I memorized every room, but I still went in each one."

"O...k...whatever..."

At the gate, I fished out my keys and felt the tips of each one, searching for the right edges, (I had committed to memory the feel of the ridges in each key to match its lock). Finding it, I opened the lock and opened the gate. Its hinges moaned in protest, overcoming my sensitive ears momentarily.

We walked up the rather long driveway to my front door. I noticed Serenity's quietness and inquired about such before I tried the knob, (I wanted to check if Mokuba was home before I used my key).

"Why are you so quiet?"

"Well, you know, I was just thinking..." I tried the knob. Clicked right open. Intrigued by this new discovery, I forgot to finish my conversation with Serenity, and instead walked into my house and called, "Mokuba?" The nervousness built up in my chest—what if he wasn't home?

"Hey Seto!" his voice sounded from high up. I breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Mokuba, where did you go so suddenly and why?" I heard the _pit-patter _of his feet scamper down the hallways and stairs to greet me. He talked as he ran.

"Well, you know, Lock decided it was time to go when I told him Serenity had come—I don't know why, though—and"—He stopped as he had finally reached us. "Wow....what's up Serenity?" I hadn't asked his approval before inviting and I was sorry for that, but I felt worse over what Serenity thought about my little brother: She thought he didn't want her there from what I said that he didn't like company. How had I managed to confuse this whole situation for the two of them?

"Hello...." She said, uneasily.

"Hiya! Welcome to our home! Want something to ea or drink? Please sit down." Ok so he knew how to treat guests better than I did. Hey, my step-father never taught me manners!

"Umm, just a water would be good please." She seemed unsure of where to sit though. I walked up stairs, (counting as I went), and showed her the way, sitting down on a random couch myself, (oh in case you were wondering, by that time I had memorized the exact place of my furniture in all the major rooms. For some places in my house, I still needed my cane, so I kept it with my always, but I was getting somewhere, at least), and she sat with me on my right.

Mokuba dashed off to get her a glass of purified water. He had gotten off task, again. "You were saying, Mokuba?"

"Oh right. Well, Lock asked to be taken to the nearest burger stop fast food place, so I took him to the Fast-DeathDonald's down the road" (A/N: yeah, I made that place up. I'm against fast food, too, by the way, but I don't own any McDonald's stuff, so don't sue please!) "and well he just wanted to be left alone after that."

"Was it impossible for you to take him to some place healthier?" Really, how could anyone willingly submit to the disgusting deception of greasy fat burgers? I mean, sure they tasted good, but did anyone ever ask what was IN them? How much fat? Where they cooked their burgers—it could be over an exhaust pipe, as long as it still tasted good. It's just sad. I hate it.

"Seto, you have to just relax. Not everyone can be a strict vegetarian like you!"

"Vegan, Mokuba, vegan!" He always slipped up there. Who the hell called vegans "strict vegetarians" anymore? It was all so outdated.

"Kaiba, you're a vegetarian?" Oh, yes. Serenity didn't know, did she?

"I prefer the term 'vegan' if it's all the same to you."

"Sure. I think that's cool." Her voice sounded so bubbly childish right there. In truth, I wasn't doing it to be cool, I was doing it to be healthy, and to stop cruelty in butcher shops. Did anyone have any idea what those heartless butchers did to animals in their little slaughter houses? I did. Let's just say the slaughter houses earned their names well. Oh, and yes, I do have quite the soft spot for animals, in case you were wondering.

But, enough of my ranting. I have to stay on track, here. No one really cares what I think, and apparently Lock couldn't even take the time to think about how bad burgers were for him. So, Serenity and I left the subject alone for the time being and moved on to other things.

Mokuba did come back with Serenity's water, eventually, but after that he left us alone, (not to return until the next day, I believe). She thanked him and sipped daintily on the precious liquid, swallowing quietly when her mouth filled up. I heard her and couldn't help compare her to the water. They were both pure, both smooth and without definite shape. By scientific definition, water will form to whatever shape its container has. Maybe Serenity is the same way.

We sat there, not talking much, not doing much, for little over a half hour.

"Kaiba, did I ever finish what I wanted to say earlier?" Serenity threw out there all of a sudden. How long would she go on about this?

"I do not believe so."

"Ok, so let me. What I tried to say that day, when I first talked to you, was that I...well...I understood you, ok?"

"But you don't understand me." She had NO idea what she was getting herself into, here.

"No, you're right, I don't really." I was right? "I just wanted to be your friend and well, to be a comfort to you." Her voice sounded different. A little worn out.

"Yeah, but you see, here's the thing that troubles me." I moved to a position that was very business-like with my head resting on laced together my hands and my legs sprawled out underneath my elbows. "Why?"

"Why? Well, why not?" She began giggling. Really badly, too, like a school girl, (which I guess she was....). It was infectious. I smirked and then internally scolded myself. She would not win me over with her little laughs.

She died down a little when she saw I was not joining her. "Well, I guess I didn't get through to you at all, did I?" I did not respond. I wanted to tell her about my dreams of her, but I didn't. "I better be going then...." She got up and made towards the door.

Wait! I thought, GO? Already??! I grabbed her wrist.

"What?" she asked, annoyed, now. I loved the way her voice changed to fit her brilliant moods.

"You did get through to me." Why deny it anymore?

"I did?"

"Yeah....a little too well if I may say so."

"How so?" She pulled her wrist out of my grip and sat down next to me again.

The thought of my old nightmares flew back to me on the wings of a night bat. I hadn't had one in a long time...I guess it was because Lock had shown me that I could go to my hideous caller, (who would haunt me forever), whenever I wanted to. I decided to tell her about the dreams. "I used to have some nightmares, when I dreamed that someone was calling my name and demanding that I go to them. But I couldn't, it was too dark. It seemed that every night my caller would say something different. And the night that you spoke to me about your life, well his voice changed to yours and your words." I was done. How would she take this?

"You had the nightmares, too? I used to get them, before my surgery. They were awful. I dreamt that someone needed my help and I couldn't see where they were and I accidentally made them suffer even more....because I was blind."

"Really?" Suddenly I didn't feel so weird anymore. Keep in mind that I had never opened up like this to anyone, ever, not even my little brother. But, after Serenity told me that, I felt like I just....didn't have to be so secretive anymore about my feelings with her and of her. It was strange, but somehow wonderful.

"Yeah. And you know what the worst part was?"

"What?"

"The person that needed my help was my brother, Joey." How horrible was that? I felt bad for her and stupid that I had underestimated what she had gone through just because she wasn't still blind now. "Was your, umm, caller someone you knew?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"My step-father."

"Oh, wow. What was he like?"

"Well....let's just say he didn't want my help, like Wheeler did of you."

"Huh?"

"He was not a....kind man, to say the least."

"He was mean to you?"

"Yes."

"A lot?"

"Yes."

"And he....haunts your dreams?"

"Yes. Sometimes."

"Seto.....Kaiba......I had no idea."

She wanted to call me Seto. I would let her. "You can call me Seto if you want."

"Really?"

"Of course."

She didn't say anything after that. She just sort of moved closer to me and laid her head on chest. Her hand grasped mine and held it tight. I put my chin on top of her head. It was so peaceful and dreamlike; I didn't want to move ever again.

A flood of emotions washed over me. I felt sad, for all we had been through, but happy that we had found each other and a way to deal with it. I had never really known too much kindness or love, but Serenity had given me both with the simple explanation of "Why not?". She was a goddess in my broken eyes. I wished I could see her and her beauty, but in a way, it was better that I couldn't. I wasn't so naïve to think it wasn't our blindness that had brought us together.

"Seto....." she said. Or rather, she whispered. It was like she was afraid to talk normally, and in truth so was I. Neither of us wanted to break the mood. She continued, "This moment is forever...."

"Yes," I said softly. "Let's make it last." I ran my lips down her tilted cheek, searching for her lips. She did not sit idly by, she helped me find them, and when I did, she opened them willingly and freely.

At first it was just a little kiss. One peck with some minor sound in it and we pulled away. But that was not enough. Our lips met again, this time stronger and harder, more forcefully. I was the first to slip my tongue in, and she followed soon after. I did everything by touch, as was the way with the blind man.

Our arms were straddled on each others' backs, pulling afraid to let go. It's a funny thing, the feeling of love I had. It was like being on the edge of a cliff with only her to hang onto, lest I fall and die.

I guess what happened next is only natural. Sometimes the body has wisdom that eludes the mind.

_I can't explain it myself, and I told you not to read it, for I have no other explanation then it was meant to be. My admonition earlier should have given you some clues...oh well. I hope you enjoyed that. But the next part....well, it...won't be easy for me to tell you. All that are weak in heart, stop reading now._


	12. The Gravedigger

So, last chapter was a success? I hope! It was so much fun to write, so uplifting and nice and all. Response to some of my reviewers, (thanks to ALL who reviewed, by the way):

Lady Moofin: Oh, I'm so happy you like this story so much! It so nice to receive such a wonderful review...please read this chapter, and I hope that it measures up to all your expectations of a perfect story!

CaptainInuyahsa777: Guessing? No guessing allowed! Just Kidding, I tried to use some techniques of foreshadowing...I'm glad it worked out for you! Skipping piano lessons? Like, who doesn't do that?

DarkDementedBunny: Yay, a fellow vegetarian! So wonderful! Unfortunately, I'm only a semi because my parents think that a little chicken is good for a child of 13....oh well. Thank you for reading my opinion and understanding it for what it was, (an opinion/fact, not an insult to all meat-eaters)! That was my wish for it! And, of course, Seto is a vegetarian. All the writers know he is, they just forgot to mention it in their scripts! But it fits him too perfectly to just be a fantasy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't mind if someone put it up for sale in some Century 21 advertisement...no...that would be pretty cool...

**Chapter 12: The Gravedigger **

It's sort of funny how you remember so little of what happened before a major event in your life. The details only start coming back to you after quite some time.

That's exactly how it is with me. I can remember things of that day now and only now sitting here telling you this story. Like how wisps Serenity's hair had fallen on my face while we were sleeping in my bed and when I woke up they tickled my face like little pieces of silk drawn back an forth over my nose.

I smiled at this feeling, and then removed her hair, wishing to turn over and hold her. She was still asleep. I lightly placed my cheek on hers and kissed it before getting up and deciding to make some breakfast for her, (I told you that Lock had taught me how to cook a meal, right?).

Remembering all of the night before, the events of which had put me in a rather good mood, I stood up and got dressed. I smiled again, listening to the sound of birds harmlessly chirping outside my window. I cold feel the rays of sunlight streaming into my bedroom and filling up the wide room that had once frightened me with its vastness. I wasn't afraid of it anymore. On days like these, and even nights of pure serene darkness and distant noises, who wouldn't want to stand next to the window and think of all that was happening in the world beyond?

Alright, so I had gotten a little philosophical since first blinded. I couldn't help it. Though I had once scoffed at this lifestyle, now that I found myself living it, my opinion of it had changed.

I walked down the stairs, (all fourteen of them, I knew inevitably), and into my kitchen. Such a nice place it was. I reached into the coldness of my refrigerator and felt around for the right ingredients. I knew what I would make.

While preparing the oven and beginning the cooking processes I thought of Lock. Should I tell him about Serenity? Certainly not all of what had happened last night, but should I at least let him know that someone was important to me, finally? Out of everyone in my world, Lock was the only person who hadn't pitied me when I was blinded—and I'm including myself. I owed him little, though. We had a different sort of friendship almost. I smiled thinking of the logic I once had that if someone did me a favor I owed him some sort of debt. Life didn't work like that. Things happened that you didn't deserve and people did things for you that you couldn't repay. And, in truth, half the time Yugi did favors for me that I never repaid!

It was about an hour later that Serenity woke up. I heard her walking around my room upstairs. Just in time. I had just finished my meal for her. In fact, maybe I would eat as well. (I already told you that I never really ate, but did I mention that sometimes I could go days without food before I realized I was actually hungry? Another little memento of my childhood.)

I stopped suddenly, as a thought made itself known. My breakfast was a vegan breakfast. That was all I knew how to make! Never had I tried or even had the desire to cook something using any sort of animal products, but what if Serenity didn't like that?

She was walking down the stairs. It was too late to change it. What happened would happen, no way to alter it now.

"Hey, Seto," she said, casually strolling in, as if she had lived here all her life. That was fine by me. "Aww....you made breakfast! That was my idea!" She walked over to my side and we shared a brief kiss.

"Wait....how exactly did you make breakfast?" Of course, she still didn't believe.

"I'm Seto Kaiba. I can make breakfast." What else was there to explain?

She giggled. "Silly me for doubting. What did you make?"

"French toast. But...no real eggs...you know the artificial ones? And I use soy butter and soy milk only." Well, out with it.

"Of course. I had almost forgotten you were a vegan. Seto, you know, your being a vegetarian...that's very romantic..." How wrong was I about her opinion of me? Normally, I hated being wrong, (that, I can say with some certainty, will never change), but this time I really didn't mind at all.

Just as we were sitting down, Mokuba came in. "Hi, you guys! Serenity, you slept over!"

"Hi, Mokuba. Yes I did spend the night. It just...sort of happened." We weren't going to tell Mokuba exactly how it happened, he was too young to understand, but we were planning to tell him about our new relationship. We weren't afraid. We loved each other. People could take it as it was, (we had talked about it briefly the night before).

"Seto, did you make that cardboard French toast again?" Mokuba asked. Why did he have to say it? Serenity could have just found out for herself...

"Cardboard?" she asked.

"Mokuba thinks that the soy and artificial milk make the food taste like cardboard," I explained. "This is not true."

"Yes it is! I'm making my own breakfast, ok?"

"Fine."

By the time we had all finished breakfast, during which no conversation had been held, thankfully, and Serenity made no signs that the food tasted like wood. I was happy for this.

Quite unfairly, Mokuba reminded us of something that she and I had incidentally forgotten the night before. "Hey, Serenity, how's Joey doing?"

"...He's fine....OH!!" She said, remembering as soon as I did.

"Shit..." I swore.

"We forgot to call Joey and tell him where I was!" Her statement was directed at me, I could tell.

"Oh, no! Call him, right now!" Mokuba ran for the portable phone.

"Oh, no, oh, no! He'll think someone kidnapped me or something...he's always jumping to conclusions...how could I have forgotten about my big brother? Stupid!" I moved close to her and swept up her hair in my hands.

"You're not stupid," I said to her neck. "You just forgot. So did I."

"...Are you comfortable with him knowing about us, Seto?"

"I don't care. He can throw the world's best fit, but that would be all he can do." This was true. One more thing, though, was that I didn't really care at all how Wheeler felt. But I left this out to Serenity.

Mokuba returned with the phone. "Here," he said. And she dialed the number. I can say that there was some suspense while she was calling him up. I just wanted to hear Wheeler scream at the top of his lungs, but I'm sure Serenity and Mokuba felt differently.

With my accelerated hearing, I heard every word on both sides of the phone:

"Hello?" Wheeler, he sounded frantic.

"Joey?" Serenity.

"Yeah....Serenity?!"

"Hi, Joey."

"Serenity? Where were you? I've been looking for you all over this town, and so have the police!"

"The police?"

"Yeah! Where were you?" So, Wheeler had been the least bit interested in his sister's fate.

"Umm....I was at Kaiba's house. Err...his mansion."

"WHAT?!?! Did he kidnap you?"

"No! I asked him if I could go with him."

"WHY?!?!"

"I just...needed to talk to him about something."

"And did you talk it over?"

"Yep! Very, _humanely_, too, Joey."

"Wait...all that happened was talking, right?"

"Well...no...."

"WHAT????!?!???!?!?!?!??!"

"Joey....we love each other, Seto and me."

"What??? He's using you, Serenity!"

"NO! We really do love each other. I swear it!"

"Serenity! You're talking crazy!"

"Joey...please understand...please..."

"Serenity, I forbid this!"

"Really?" She sounded hurt. How badly would this affect her? Hopefully not a lot.

"Definitely!"

"Well. I'm sorry, Joey, but you can't stop me from seeing him."

"What?"

"You can throw the grandest fit, I don't care. That'll be all you can do." She used my words.

"Serenity....stop, now..."

"I'm sorry Joey, but I have to do this. Seto is...so misunderstood by you...and everyone. But not me. He's very important to me, Joey. If you can't understand that....it hurts but, that's too bad."

"Serenity!"

"Goodbye Joey. And tell the police that no one kidnapped me." She hung up.

Serenity sat there for a few moments, and then she began to cry.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"He just doesn't understand...."

"Well, give him a chance," Mokuba said this. (Ok, who thought I broke down and actually told Serenity to give her brother a chance? Ha!)

"What do you mean, Mokuba?"

"Well, you didn't really give much time to accept it, you know? You were just like, 'This is how it is—deal with it!'. I think he needs more time. But eventually he will accept you guys. I'm sure. He's not the kind of person to not forgive you."

"You're right, I didn't really give him much of a chance.....I'll call him back."

"No, Serenity!" I rushed these words out in haste. I knew that Mokuba was right in his analysis of the situation, Wheeler would calm down eventually. But, immediately following, he would be royally pissed off. For the better of Serenity I told her not to call him back, (right....).

"So....you guys are like....boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Shit! I had forgotten about how Mokuba was going to handle it.

"Yep. We definitely are, Mokuba." Serenity could be brave with Mokuba...but not Wheeler. I guess it was the same thing. We could be brave with outsiders, but not when it came to our family. Why was that?

No matter what Serenity felt after that, she didn't tell me anything about it. She wasn't going to go home, obviously, but I had decided to tell Lock about us, (it would be interesting, to say the very least, to hear his reaction), so I left her at my mansion with Mokuba, with a lavish kiss and the promise of my return home as soon as possible.

Maybe I shouldn't have gone. Maybe I should have just stayed home and been with Serenity rather than go out and lay witness to what would happen next. Think whatever you want. But I'm still glad I was the one who went, and not somebody else.

I set out for the Domino clock tower like any other day. I was filled with anticipation regarding what I would tell Lock. Would he even understand? Yes...he would.

There were many people there that Sunday. It was amazing. You could barely move with everyone around you. There were so many crowds, all of them saying the same thing, "This is the last day of the tournament! I wonder who that blind guy will say the winner is." I hadn't known that that was the last day of the tournament. Strange how Lock had just not mentioned it...whatever, I didn't care. Yugi was going to win anyway. That was obvious, even to me.

As a side effect of the amount of people standing around waiting for Lock to make his speech were so great, it was hard for me to find my way. I couldn't feel it. I bumped into about a thousand people with my cane, (none of them enjoyed it much, but what can I say? They should have just moved when they saw me coming), and got turned around many times.

Finally breaking free of the hordes of people, I had no idea where I was. I was dizzy from being pushed and shoved in all different directions and had lost all my bearings. I was nervous again. Where was I? Was I near Lock's home? Was I in the opposite direction? Nothing felt familiar, the ground, the way the wind blew, the way the sunlight hit....nothing. I was lost.

Just as I was about to go up to one of the people in the crowds, when someone I recognized passed by me, (I knew her by her smell).

"Lola!" I yelled at her.

"Why....Mr. Kaiba! Wha-what are you doing here?"

"....Don't you know?" I asked. After all, she was the one who had read me the note inviting me to this tournament and setting all of the events that transpired afterwards in motion.

"Well...yes, I....yes, I mean, obviously...are you here for the tournament?"

"Yeah....but I'm looking for Lock right now. Have you seen him?"

"Sir, you're _looking_ for Lock?" she asked. How stupid she could be.

"You know what I meant. Now, have you seen him?"

"That gentleman, with the long greasy hair and the dirty clothes and the boots with the chains on them and all that....no sir! I mean, I try not to, sir, I have to say...." Did I mention she was annoying as well?

"Do you know where he lives?"

"No! Err, why would I, sir?"

"Well I do. He lives in a boarding house—a brick one, huge with an enormous lower floor....where is it?" Lock lived on the enormous lower floor and he kept his candy-shop and all other five of his rooms there. In all truth, it was very big for an unmarried blind man with a strange, grueling profession, (though....I'm no one to talk...). No one had ever really live in the rooms upstairs from him, but sometimes a few teenage bachelors came and went, he said. So he left the upstairs rooms alone.

"I don't know sir....there are a lot of brick buildings this way...I really don't know sir!"

"Ok. Well help me find it. Or I'll dock your pay." I added that last part for security.

"Yes, sir, right away, sir! Which way shall we go?"

"You tell me, fool! Where is the nearest brick building?"

"Oh..oh...oh.oh.....right here sir!" She walked straight ahead of me and I almost lost her. I didn't, though, and we stood in front of Lock's house together.

I knew it was Lock's house because I felt it. The ground underneath me was concrete, yet strands of grass stuck up randomly and unruly. The sunlight shined at such an angle and the wind blew just right. I knew where I was.

"This is it, Lola. We may go."

"Err, well, how can you tell, sir?"

"I just know."

"Fine! I mean...right, sir! Whatever you say sir! Thank you sir!" She dashed away. I thought about how I really should have been thanking her. After all, as much as I hated to admit it, I had relied on her and she had not let me down. Yet, I did not feel like I was indebted to her. Trusting people was becoming easier.

I walked into the home of my friend, the heat nearly blowing me over. I smiled at first, but then stopped. Something wasn't right. It was never, ever hot in Lock's house. The air conditioner was always on full blast, he liked it like that. The feeling of awkwardness—that heavy rock of suspicion that landed in your stomach something was amiss—had come over me.

Needing, (and wanting), to stay calm, I dismissed the heat with a mistake or something by Lock. Maybe he just got really cold or something and put the heat on to reassure himself. However unlike lock that was, it could happen. There were plenty of reasons why this could be, of course, it wasn't an impossibility.

But the feeling in my stomach did not go away. I continued down the hallway I knew so well, all the while the heat becoming more and more intense, more unbearable, all the while my suspicion growing and multiplying into fear.

I was extremely shaken by the time I got into Lock's room—the dark room. It was so hot in there—the hottest it ever was in that home.

"Lock?" I called into the room. I knew he was there. I smelled his smell and the dirt from a hard days work. But....there was also another smell.....that I cannot describe. And the silence was unnatural and an echo of what was to come.

How can I describe how I felt while I was screaming into that room, "Lock, you answer me right now!" and calling his name up and down to heaven and hell? I don't think you'll understand it if I try.

I dropped my cane—his cane—and walked into the dark room. I crashed into the couch and bruised my leg, but I didn't even notice. I ran to the spot where he usually sat—one arm out in front of me, like in the beginning—but I did not make it all the way there. I tripped over something cold and hard...and dirty.

I knew what I would find as my hand ran over the thing lying half on the floor, half on the air condition monitor, (right on the heat button making it hotter and hotter). I guess I knew it from the time I first walked into the house. But I hadn't prepared for it in the slightest.

After pulling myself together a little bit, I was able to call an ambulance, (I knew how to dial the phone from memorization of the button placements, and 911 was an easy number, anyway), and Mokuba and Serenity. It was difficult to talk to Mokuba and Serenity and explain to them, calmly, what I couldn't accept to hear. Luckily, the ambulance came pretty quickly and I could cut off the line with merely the order that they come to where I was.

I don't know if I'll ever imagine the horror all the duelists must have felt watching the ambulance arrive at Lock's house and take him away. Sad? Horrified? Shocked? Angry? Disappointed? The only thing I know is how I felt—a mixture of all the above mentioned emotions and more.

Serenity and Mokuba came almost immediately after the ambulance. I waited for them, choosing not to ride in the noisy, busy vehicle, but to walk with my love and my little brother. We did not walk slowly to the hospital, (ironically the same one I lost my sigh in), sometimes we almost ran, and we did not talk much. What was there to say or do besides run to the hospital where we all knew what awaited?

In the waiting room of St. Gerard Mercy Hospital, we were all still silent. Serenity had her head on my shoulder and Mokuba sobbed softly. I just stared into the blackness in front of me, not wishing to face what would happen next.

I'm pretty sure it took a grand total of about 20 minutes before the doctors came to talk to the three of us and tell us what happened.

The doctor had a strong feminine voice that slammed down on us as she told us things we already knew. "....Massive heart attack....four hours without help and in a state of unconsciousness...too late...." Those words, "too late", were hardest of all on us. I don't know why. We already knew that.

I think now of Lock's profession, grave digging. He had to dig the final resting place six feet under ground for millions of people who had past on. He dealt with death every day of his life, but never truly felt it. As hard as it was to believe, millions of people depended on him to do their dirty work—literally—for them, and handle their dead.

What happens when the gravedigger dies?


	13. The Funeral

This is the long awaited update. I hope the last chapter wasn't too sad. That just had to happen, you know? Just to tell you, I decided to write this chapter instead of do my long and lengthy homework assignments, (plural). So, congratulate me. REVIEWERS ARE THANKED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT IMAGINABLE!!!!!!!! Response:

Lady Moofin: YAY!! My story measured up...so happy! Please read this chapter and let me know what you think. I'll wait for your review! (I put you first again! Be happy!)

Xaio23: Here you go! Enjoy!

CaptainInuYasha777: Sure! I'd love to chat with you! You just have to tell me how to use the MSN Messenger thingy-thing. Thanks a bunch for reviewing! Yeah, I thought about killing off Serenity in a later chapter...but I hate all the sad romance and stuff. I just can't take that kind of thing, you know?

SetoSerenity Forever: Yeah, I know. I was kind of unsure about making it so happy in the beginning. But, hey, there had to be some transition between Chapter 11 and then Lock's death, right? Please read this chapter!

Setalina Muro: Sorry about the suddenness! I knew it was kind of off topic ad out of blue, but I suck at writing romance and build up to it, you know? Please don't hate my story because of the author's lack of skill!

Slipknotrulez: Thanks for your review, (cool penname, btw!). R&R this chapter too, please!

That Undomiel Chick: Aw.....don't cry.....if you start crying, I;m going to cry and then I'll just have to be mad at myself for writing something so sad......please accept my apologies....

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Yeah, I was born like that, without a Yu-Gi-Oh share. Whatever, I just can't help it.

**Chapter 13: The Funeral**

I didn't cry. No, I was unable to cry, (I told you that, right?). Serenity and Mokuba did, though. Right there in the goddamn hospital. I was not embarrassed, just a little caught off guard. Serenity didn't know him like I did, so I knew she was not crying for him. She was crying for me. I hated that, I think.

"I'm sorry," the doctor said. "I wish...there was something I could do."

"You've done all you could. I thank you," I told her. She walked away. How hard must it be to be a doctor? Facing death every day....loved ones screaming for the loss of family members, friends. I felt bad for her. But, more so for Lock.

"Let's go," I said to Mokuba and Serenity. "We have a funeral to plan." I turned, guiding the two as I went.

"How can you be so cold, Seto?" Mokuba asked. "Lock was our friend!"

"Tears don't help, Mokuba. Nothing will." I think Serenity told Mokuba to hush as well, (she could read my true feelings better than I could), because he said nothing after that, (a very unlike-Mokuba thing to do).

We left the hospital and went back to my home. Walking, of course, in silence.

The next few days passed in a moment, it seemed. The three of us arranged for the funeral on a Tuesday, (I told them that it had to be a Tuesday because that was Lock's favorite day of the week. Somehow it just worked out that Tuesday was the only available day and the most convenient day as well. So I went by with it, unmatched), and of course we used the Kacko's funeral plan. (Strange to think how his employers were the ones who buried him.) There was to be no wake. No one would go to it, besides us. No one cared.

Serenity basically lived at my house in those days. I asked her only once if she needed to go to school. But she just said that that wasn't important. I didn't question her reasoning even though I doubted it.

In truth, I'm glad she was there. She called all her "friends" and told them what had happened to Lock—the true story of it. There were rumors flying around between everyone who had gone to the tournament. Yugi and the others were probably just caught up in the middle of it all.

I knew that Yugi and the others knew about my relationship with Serenity—there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Wheeler had spilled the entire story to them not a second after he hung up the phone with Serenity that day. I had sort of an uncomfortable feeling about it. They probably didn't feel any better about the situation than Wheeler did, and he felt pretty raw.

Wheeler and his sister didn't make up when Lock died. I don't think she even called her brother to tell him about it all. Of course, he probably found out all the details from Tèa or somebody, but not from Serenity. He wasn't even at the funeral. It was kind of sad, (especially for me, the cause of all of it), to hear about the two silently arguing about me. They were so close....why couldn't he just accept it, the mangy mutt? Needless to say his behavior only increased my loathing of him, but I will delay all further attention to Serenity's jackass brother in this section of the story. This is, (and was, at the time), Lock's part. Not Wheeler's.

The morning of the funeral. I found it hard to bring myself out of bed. I hadn't slept since he died, but I always went to bed with Serenity—just to be near her for a little bit more time. The thought of going to the final farewell of my best friend was...well....depressing. But more than that. He meant so much to me.....just the thought of him resting forever where he once worked his heart out. It was just weird, not right.

"Come on, Seto," Serenity said. "We have to get ready for the...ceremony."

"I...I'm hesitant, Serenity." Why did I even bother telling her? She already knew.

"I know, my love, I know. But you have to do this. For Lock. He needs you today, now more than ever."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know that he would want you to go to his funeral. Just as you would want him there at yours. Please Seto. Do this for him."

For him. She was right. I needed to go.

We walked to the funeral home, the three of us once more gathered together in an unbreakable silence. We were prepared that time, I think. The days preceding the funeral had accustomed us to the death of our gravedigger.

As soon as we entered the funeral home, we were greeted by a most annoying man. "Are you Mr. Kaiba? Lock's friend?" he said, running up to me. The man had a voice that made me want to kill him—like that of a beetle's voice, but more high-pitched and scratchy.

"Yes, I am Mr. Kaiba. Who are you?" And why are you so annoying?

"I'm Mr. Kacko, your planner, Mr. Kaiba?" I am not sure why he added that question mark at the end—why he told me his name in a question. But it was still more down trotting for his representation.

"Alright."

"Yes." He stood still. When could we get to the funeral? Was there something before hand that I had to say to make him remember?

"Are.....you going to show me the way to the gravesite?"

"Oh, oh no, Mr. Kaiba! We have to wait until the other guests arrive."

"What other guests?"

"Sorry I didn't tell you, Seto," Serenity said. "But I invited Yugi, Tèa, Tristan, Mai, and Yugi's grandfather, Mr. Mouto. They all said they were coming."

"What?" I asked in a deep, shocked, angry voice that displayed only half of what I was truly feeling.

"The more people that come the better!" Mokuba pointed out.

"But I don't even know half those people!"

"Yes you do, Seto!"

"Who the hell is Mai?" Really, my mind had drawn a blank picture when she came up with that name.

"Mai Valentine. She went to your tournament, Seto...."

"Oh, right." Now I remembered her. "Why the hell is she coming?"

"Well, she was in Lock's tournament....but I think she's only coming because I asked her to."

"And Tèa and Tristan?"

"Well, Tristan's probably coming because I'm coming, (he has sort of a crush on me, you know)" I didn't like that at all "and Tèa's probably coming because Yugi is."

"And why are Yugi and his grandfather here?"

"Actually....I think they really wanted to go." I tried to get more out of her on the subject, but she refused to say any more. I left it alone after a while.

In about 10 or 15 minutes, I heard a car—only one—pull up to the funeral home. People were talking as they got out of it. They said things like, "I hope it's not going to be too sad...just so you guys know, I cry at funerals...."

"Don't worry, Tèa. So do I."

"Really, Tristan?"

"Yeah, really Tristan?" I knew that voice by its lack of reputation. Mai truly had come.

"Now, now, let's all try to be respectful, here. This day is important to Kaiba." Yugi's grandfather with his old, tired voice.

"But Mr. Mouto, we are respectful!"

"I know...but try to be a little more so here."

"We will."

Oh, how I wished they did not come into the building. I wished they could just stay outside forever and that I would not have to face them again. But no. They did walk in and not quietly either. You see, they never really did top talking, (ever).

"Quite cold out, isn't it?" Yugi said.

Mr. Kacko ran to him and said in that insect voice of his, "So! The guests have arrived! We may start the funeral! This way!" He dashed off.

"Hi guys," Tèa said to the three of us. Serenity and Mokuba exchanged greetings but I remained silent, only wishing to get the thing started.

But she persisted. "Hi, Kaiba."

"Hello." I said to the direction of her voice.

"Let's go!" Kacko reminded us. "I have other appointments for today!" He was lying, I knew, but I didn't care. Really, I didn't care much about anything that guy did.

The eight of us walked in his direction, Serenity never once leaving my side to guide me and I with my cane protruding naturally in front of me, (I had gotten totally used to the thing by that time).

On the way outside, Tristan came up beside Serenity. "Hi Serenity."

"Hi, Tristan."

"How have you been?" How dare he? Just how dare he?

"Fine." I was proud of Serenity, what she did next. She clasped my hand just to make sure that he and I knew where she stood. He walked away after that.

Outside, I realized Yugi was right. It was cold out. Somehow a shadow of what was about to happen.

There was a priest standing by the gravesite. He greeted us solemnly as we entered the area he was standing. I sensed the presence of two other gravediggers standing by in waiting. They came up to me and said, "We're sorry for ya loss, Mr. Kaiba. We knew Lock. He worked wit us. He was a good friend of ah's. We know how much of a good guy he was, and we wanna say thanks for comin' taday. He would appreciate ih." They were his friends. A little uneducated, but I know they were sincere.

I offered them both my hand. "Thank you," I said. I think they liked to shake the hand of an extremely famous billionaire. I'm glad I made them happy.

We continued on and came to the grave. I held my cane in my left hand for a moment and reached out to touch the coffin. Hard wood met my hand. It was cold and unsympathetic to the man who lay dead inside it. There were no flowers on top of the coffin; Lock always said he hated flowers because they made him confused when trying to walk. I knew what he meant—flowers made it harder to smell things and thus harder to walk.

We stood beside the coffin as the priest said his speech. I remember none of what that man said, only what I was thinking as he said it. I was thinking of Lock's life. He had told it to me once. I'll tell you now.

He was born somewhere down in Georgia. He didn't even know exactly where. He only remembered a few things about his home as a child, flowers, a wooden house, loving parents and a cat. He never really told me much about that life, only what happened after.

When he was four he lost his sight, his brother, and his father in a brutal car accident. He told me that it was hard on him—that's all, only hard—but I knew that that day had effected him more than he was able to say. The memory still haunted him, and he didn't even have to tell me that I knew so well.

After that, he lived with only his mother, who was hardened by the accident more than Lock was—think about it; she lost one of her sons and her husband in one moment and her only son left was now permanently blind. She only really showed much pity toward herself, however, and not too much toward Lock. I think this only helped Lock, though. It taught him pity was not the answer to all problems. It made him wiser.

Lock said that he was responsible for teaching himself how to live blind, he never went to school, (hence his grave digging profession), but he knew enough.

As a teenager of 18, his mother died of a heart attack—brought on herself from years of drinking, smoking, and a general sense of misconduct where her health was concerned. Lock lived on his own after that and soon picked up grave digging as his only job.

As for his love of duel monsters, Lock said that his father always loved it and that he just picked it up one day. He didn't go into much detail.

That was it. The whole life story of Lock....I didn't even know his last name. Sad, no?

As they lowered his coffin into the grave site, I heard them whisper, "G'bye Lock," and "We're gonna miss ya, buddy." It was very sad.

I was numb. I knew he was gone when they pounded the dirt on top of the coffin and called it a day. Serenity was crying, again, but I knew that this time it was for Lock and not me. Tèa, Mokuba and Yugi were also in tears. The others, including myself were silent.

After five minutes of standing there in the cold, everyone waiting for what I would next, another man came by and said, "Where is Mr. Kaiba?"

"I'm here," I replied, still not moving.

"Oh, well, you're invited to the reading of The Will. Come this way...er....if you...can...." He was the first one all day to notice my blindness.

"I can." I told Serenity to stay with the others and go into the house and wait for me while I was in there. She protested, but I made her in the end. Then I followed the direction of that man's voice and walked into another room, (all the time memorizing the twists and turns of the hallways and such so that I could find my way back to Serenity and the others).

The reading was short. Lock left everything—every little scrap of paper, his deck, his bottom layer of the boarding house, everything—to me. I was somehow not surprised. His entire was family was dead and he had few friends, (none besides me and the two gravediggers it seemed).

I headed back to Serenity. I heard them all talking inside as I neared. "How is everything, Serenity?" Mai asked.

"Well...I wish this never happened...."

"No, I mean how you are doing. You."

"Oh."

"We miss you," Tèa told her.

"I miss you guys, too. I would have liked to hang out with you guys more...but after this happened...I don't know...."

"Ah, Serenity come on! You know what we're talking about!" Trsitan. "Why are you with Kaiba all of a sudden?"

No one contradicted him. No one, except Serenity. (In case you were wondering, Mokuba was not in the room when they were all talking, he was crying in the bathroom with Yugi and his grandfather, as I was told later).

"Tristan...guys.....don't do this. Please."

"We're not angry, Serenity. We just want to know what happened."

"Well.....it's hard to explain, I..." but she never finished because then I walked into the room and everybody quieted down.

"Hiya, Kaiba." Mai said in an out-of-place sort of tone.

"Hi." I spoke to her voice. "Where's Mokuba?" They told me where. "Oh. I'll go get him. Please, continue your conversation."

"No. I'll go, too, Seto." Serenity followed me, (and this was a good thing because poor blind Seto had no idea where the goddamn bathroom was).

Inevitably, everyone else followed suit. We all went and got Mokuba out of the bathroom. I practically had to carry him out he was hugging me so tightly. "It's all my fault, Seto. I was the one who gave him all that greasy, bad food and..."

"No, Mokuba. Bad hearts run in his family." It didn't comfort the poor kid, nothing could.

"Where should we go now?" Serenity asked. It was a good question.

"Why don't we all go home," Yugi suggested. "and meet up at my house tomorrow for some talk."

As much as I didn't want to, that's what we did.


	14. Their Home

This...is....the fourteenth chapter....I am so happy! I never thought the story was going to do this well, but thanks to ALL my reviewers it has! I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter. It may not seem to be as good as some of the other chapter....sorry! It was just really difficult continuing from a chapter like the last one. Anyways, I think this story is starting to come to an end......but this is NOT the last chapter! Response:

Setalina Muro: Omg, thank you for loving my story!! I never thought I was that good....you have made me soo soo soo soo happy! Thank you, thank you! I'm glad you don't hate my story, (really, I didn't want you to!) I will try not to down myself so much. Thanks, friend! Please review this chapter and tell me what you think! I really, really, want to know! (Thanks, again!)

CaptainInuYasha777: Heh, yeah that is funny. I have to put it in this chapter now! I had a thought, by the way, about the MSN Messenger. Why don't you download the AOL Communicator, and then you could talk to anyone without having them download the MSN thing. If you're interested I'll send you the link.

BlackCharmgirl: Oh, sorry, did I loose you with the life story? I thought it might be over doing it......oops........sorry! Please don't stop reading! You think it's good? YAY!! Tell me what you think of this one!

Elusia: Glad you enjoyed it, even though it didn't seem like your kind of thing. It makes me so happy to learn that people like my story! Thank you so much! I beg you to read this one and give me your opinion of it!

Xaio23: Sorry, but Lock had to go, he was making the story too happy. And Joey's a bastard...but he always was....hee hee. Lol, please keep reading. It'll get better!

curlQ: Cool! Glad you like the story so much! Kaiba MUST remain in character for this story! Kaiba DESERVES to remain in character! I continued this story for you—enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh...poor me. Have pity owners of Yu-Gi-oh! Wherever you may be! (Maybe this will work....)

**Chapter 14: Their Home**

What's in a home?

What is it about a home that makes its owner want to go back there every day? And if the owner does not want to go home, why?

Is a home just a place where one has to sleep and eat because one's body cannot stay outside for too long? Even so, why do we want to return there?

Is a home made up of not wood and insulation and aluminum siding and all that, but family? Is a home synonymous with the people sharing it with you?

I can't figure it out. When I walked home with Mokuba and Serenity that day I felt like I was going home, nothing really to it. Sure, the funeral had not brightened my spirits, but that's how it was. I lived in my home and did everything a normal person should do in a home, but I never really appreciated it. I remember, when I was first blinded, I actually hated my home because I was intimidated by it. Why? What was in the nature of the home that I would associate it with being helpless? I don't know.

The next day, while I was in bed with Serenity, I did some serious thinking. Not about anything in particular, just about life. I often did this. But that day, the home subject came up.

"Serenity," I asked her, as she and I were laying right next to each other in a naturally loving way that I enjoyed so much. "Do you like your home?"

"What, Seto?" She must have been so confused.

"Do you like your home.....like, what makes you want to go back their every day?"

"Well...you know I haven't been in my home for a long time, now, and I miss it."

"You do?" I had forgotten. She really hadn't been in her home at all lately. I felt bad after that.

"Yeah. I miss the people there. Like Joey, my mom—she doesn't live with us, but sometimes she stops by to see me and make sure Joey's taking care of me—and my cat."

"You have a cat?" I asked, amused. I thought it was cute and amusing that she should have a cat.

"Yes. She's an old, black, fluffy one. Her name is Fricky."

"Fricky?" What the hell kind of name was that?

"Yeah.....I got her when I was very young and thought that she was freaky, only I couldn't say freaky, so I called her fricky and eventually that just became her name, you know? I almost lost her when my parents divorced, but I was allowed to keep her and when I moved in with Joey I found out he was allergic to cats."

I smiled, (ignoring her recap of the past events she had been through, as she had already told me all of it long before that day), "I actually do like that name."

"Really?" She was giggling softly under her breath.

"Yes...it sounds like a dirty word, you know...Fricky....." She laughed out loud. I kept smiling.

"It does...." She laughed again and we kissed. (A/N: If y'all think this is off topic, just keep reading. It has a purpose—besides being a little bit of healthy fluff between Seto and Serenity—I promise!) "We have to go Seto. I don't want to be late for Yugi and my friends!" She got up and began to get ready.

Once we got Mokuba ready, we were able to leave. I didn't want to go—of course—but I was beyond arguing with Serenity because she needed to be with her friends. She missed them, and it wasn't fair. I could have told her to go alone....but I don't think she would have gone for that, somehow.

We walked to Yugi's house. (If you think this odd, by the way, that we walked everywhere I have a simple explanation for it: Rollin died in that car accident, he did not remain "in critical condition" for very long, and I certainly could not drive a car....and Serenity and Mokuba were both too young for driving lessons at the time. Without a driver, we had no choice. Besides, I didn't mind. I had a sense of uneasiness around cars ever since the accident. I just couldn't help it.) Serenity knew the way by heart.

Conversation was sparse, but Mokuba talked, (and talked....and talked....and talked....), and my cane offered its regular rhythmic tapping as a reassurance and normality for what was to come. Nothing made me feel any better, though.

Just try to imagine being swallowed up by a devilish breed of insects in a dark hole and you can imagine what it felt like arriving. No, I am not a mellow-dramatic person.....I just hated the people I was about to converse with. Can you blame me? I mean, really, who the hell used "friendship" as a legitimate strategy in a card game? Really? Do you know anyone? I do. If you can believe that.

"We're here, Seto," Serenity informed me.

"Yay."

She giggled slightly. "Come, on, be nice today, alright Seto?"

"I'll try. For you." I realized eventually that all I would ever do would be for her, but that realization did not come to me that day.

Serenity rang the doorbell. A muffled "Coming!" emerged from inside. I recognized the voice as Mai's. Not long after, the door opened and she said, "Well, hiya Kaiba!" (A/N: There you go CaptainInuyasha777!)

"Hello."

"Hi Mai!" Serenity and Mokuba said this consecutively.

"Come on in, you guys!" Strangely cheerful, wasn't she?

Serenity had to move first and lead me, (we were used to this), and my cane was the first part of me to enter the house. It felt weird taking that step inside their home—like I was intruding on something. I thought, again, of what made up a home. How did Yugi feel every time he walked in?

The climate was warm in the hallway and I was uncomfortably reminded of my last brief with such a room, but I quickly banished those thoughts not wishing to reminisce over that so soon. I heard and felt the presence of many people around my, in the other room next the hall—the capacity of the home was not very large. The sound of heavy footsteps crashed from the ceiling, there was more than one floor, and lead stomped down to a rhythmic clunk, clunk, clunk which I knew to mean that someone was walking down a staircase. The staircase, in fact, was very near to me and though I sensed a person coming closer, I did not know who it was. That was the one problem. It was quiet—they had unknowingly blocked out one of the ways I asserted myself. Damn them.

Yet, blessed Serenity knew my sudden handicap and broke the silence. "Hi guys. I missed you all...umm, where's Joey?"

"He should be here any minute," Tristan said. Well that's upsetting, I thought.

"Good...I need to talk to him."

"We all need to talk," the voice from the stairs. I turned my head quickly its direction. Yugi's grandfather. What was his name again....I had forgotten.

"Yea...." The awkwardness was almost unbearable, as you can imagine. There was someone missing. Yugi. Where was Yugi?

As if in direct response to my question, the door opened and a startled Yugi walked in. "Oh, gosh, I forgot about today, guys! Sorry...."

"That's ok, Yugi!" Mokuba said.

"Yeah, don't worry about it..." Serenity offered.

"Well, come on in! don't just stand in the doorway!" He put down something that was in his arms—I guessed groceries by the ruffling of the packages—and lead us inside.

This room was larger than the hallway, (as one would hope...), with more room to breathe. Unfortunately everyone had to follow us so it only got more crowded.

"Sit down." Ok, so it was a sitting room. I did not want to sit, but had no choice as Serenity moved in that direction.

The couch was very soft. I hated soft couches. They made people sink into them and one could feel trapped, (especially if one is blind and is not familiar with the current surroundings).

"Want some tea?"

"YEA!" my little brother jumped at the chance, quite rudely, as it was.

"Mokuba...." I said quietly. It actually was the first thing I said the whole time.

"Oh...sorry....may I please have some tea...."

Yugi laughed shortly. "That's ok, Mokuba. Don't worry about it."

"I'll get it!" five people said at once. Apparently no one wanted to stay with the newfound company. I can't say that I blamed them.

"I'll get it...." Tèa said. "Want to help, anyone?" She hit something after she said that. A quiet "ow" followed.

"Yeah!" Mokuba jumped again, but he remembered my previous scolding. "....uh...please..." he added.

"And, er, I'll help, too Tèa...." He seemed unsure.

"Come on, then." They all left.

"Serenity." Mai was calling on her. "Come here. There's something we have to umm...talk about...in private." Why did she have to go? I didn't really want to be left alone...

"Sure." She patted my back discreetly but told me a lot with it: She didn't want to go but had to and she would be back as soon as she could. She knew how I felt and was sorry, but she knew that I could handle myself. She got up off the couch, (that alone seemed like a great feat, she shouldn't have had to do more than that), and went with Mai.

Alone with Yugi and his grandfather, I did something I wouldn't have normally done. I started a conversation with Yugi. "Why did you ask us to come here?" My voice was hard, low and obviously unenthusiastic.

"I just feel like we need to tie up some loose ends here."

"Like what?"

"What happened between you and Serenity." He did not ask this, it seemed, it sounded, rather, like he was ordering me to tell him. This made me automatically contentious.

"What does it matter?"

"It does."

"Why?"

"Well...because.....we care about her and want to know."

"Mmmm....alright. We had sex."

Yugi's grandfather gasped and Yugi said, "WHOA! No...I didn't mean...oh god..." I screwed him up. I smiled a wicked smile that told him I wasn't kidding, but was on the contrary rather glad. "Kaiba....ok...you know that's against the law, right?"

"Mmmmm....so?"

"Well....ok, fine. Forgetting the law for one second...which I don't like doing but will because you seem to be rather contentious right now" I know. "....you shouldn't have done that. And even if you did...why did you have to tell me?"

"You asked. Remember?"

He sighed heavy sigh. "Yeah. I remember Kaiba. Do you remember?"

What was he talking about? "What?"

"Do you remember when you were in the hospital and Mokuba was all alone and I was the only one who came to sit with him so he wouldn't have to face the fear of your fate alone?"

Ouch. Ok, I deserved that. I messed him up so he came back at me with a harder saying. Basic law of the survival in a conversation between enemies. I was almost proud of little Yugi.

"I expect you want some thanks for doing that?"

"No." What? "I just wanted you to realize that we're not always enemies. That's why I did it. Besides, Mokuba really was upset and he needed somebody."

What was he talking about? That wasn't really true, was it?

"Do you understand that at all, Kaiba?" the old man asked.

"No."

I heard the springs of the couch opposite me—there was one, apparently—creak and figured Yugi had leaned back in his chair. "I didn't think so," he said.

"Look, what do you want?"

"I just told you that I want you to realize that"—"Yes, but besides that."

"Well, nothing."

"Except for maybe an apology for the earlier....umm, explicit fact you told us," the grandfather added.Why would I apologize for that? It was true....oh well; I didn't have to if I didn't want to.

The tea arrived not long after that. Three whole people walked into the room noisily carrying shaking trays making it oh so harder to breathe. "Tea, anyone?" Mokuba asked in a light-hearted tone.

"Yes please!" I heard a soft thump as a tea kettle was place on the coffee table in between the two couches, (I knew there was a coffee table because my cane had told me so when I first walked in), and a slight rattling as the tray holding many cups was set next to it. I could feel the heat radiating off the kettle. I absently thought how the three had made it and in which room. Suddenly I wondered if they had been listening to the prior conversation, (or argument, depending on how you want to look at it).

"Should we call Mai and Serenity down?" For God's sake it was only tea, but I wanted Serenity back so I did not protest.

"No," the grandfather responded. "They need some talking time." Damn.

"Right.......now, who would like some?"

"I would please," Mokuba said, sitting down next to me. I patted his head in gratitude for his politeness.

"And I please." Grandfather

"And I please." Yugi

"Same!" Tristan

"Kaiba?" Tèa asked.

"No, but I'll serve it, if you don't mind."

"What?" She, Tristan, and Yugi asked this simultaneously.

"Allow me." My hand traveled to the coffee table and I searched for the tea kettle. Unceremoniously, the back of my hand smacked into the hot side of the tea kettle. It burned slightly, but I didn't let anyone see my pain. I gingerly felt around to the handle of the kettle.

"Glass, please."

Mokuba—who was quite used to the fact that I could do this, as I had done it more than a thousand times before—coolly placed his cup in front of the kettle and banged it twice so I would know where it was and held on to it tightly. This was one of the easiest skills Lock had ever taught me. I picked up the tea and moved the kettle until it touched the cup. Then I poured. Mokuba told me when he had enough and them he proceeded to get milk and sugar and all that in his tea. He informed me that it was very good and thanked me for pouring and Tèa and Tristan for helping him make it.

I looked up at the four staring at us shocked, as I knew instinctively. I snickered an honest snicker, (if there is such a thing, that's what I did), and asked, "Would anyone else like some?"

Subsequently, I poured four more cups, (all of them following Mokuba's example of how to do it), and listened as they all enjoyed their tea. I happen to dislike tea so I did not pour some for myself.

I was beginning to wonder about where Serenity was. She had been gone a long time—which is not what she foresaw from her pat before. In fact, I was not waiting long.

Mai and Serenity clunked down the stairs, (I heard two pairs of footsteps moving slowly and not in tune to each other walking down the steps), and they were talking softly — like that could stop me from hearing them.

"Are you sure, Serenity?"

"Positive."

"Alright then, if you think he's good for you, I think he's good for you. But remember what I said about Joseph. I have no idea what's up with that boy..."

"Yea, I remember what you said. It'll be alright."

"You know when I first came here I didn't think you would be the one comforting me."

"Life's a funny thing, Mai."

They entered the room shortly. "Hello, again," Mai said, sounding bored as she plopped down into the couch in front of me.

Serenity came and resumed her place at my side. She put her head on my shoulder—right there in front of everyone—and said into my shoulder, "I love you." I leaned my head against hers and said, "Same." She was tired, or worn out, or exasperated about something. I could tell and I immediately began to worry about what exactly she and Mai had talked about before.

I can imagine how the eyes darted away from us, embarrassed.

To break the silence, Tèa said, "Do either of you want any tea?"

"No thanks," Mai answered.

"Yes, please," Serenity said, pulling her head off my shoulder slowly, (tiredly), and making to pour herself some tea.

From the outside I heard a car pull up from a long way away. A man walked out holding some sort of cage that rattled and shook in his hands. He walked up to the front of the house.

I knew no one else heard him so I said, "You have company...more of it, actually, right? Is your house always this full?"

Not a moment after, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Serenity announced, still tired, but decisive now. you please pour me some tea..."

"With pleasure," I said, happy that she had furthered my previous display of skill. She left presently.

We all knew who would be there to receive her. In fact, I think that's why Serenity chose to answer the door. But when she actually opened the door she gasped, surprised by something. The smell of something distinctive followed Wheeler as he walked himself in.

"I thought you might need some cheerin' up," he said. "So, I brought along a friend."

There was a squeaking noise as he opened the rheumatic cage door. A subtle "meow" came from within as soon as he did. "Fricky!" Serenity exclaimed. I smiled—a true smile this time, not a wicked one or a snicker—and continued to pour her tea, knowing what would follow and strangely relieved at the thought.

"Oh...I missed her Joey!"

"I missed you, too, Serenity. I'm sorry I was such a jackass before. I hope this makes up for it."

"It does, Joey. But I still think I owe you an apology for what happened on the phone." (She owed him nothing! He was the one—)

"That's ok Serenity."

"So all is forgiven?"

"In my book...but I need to have a word with that Kaiba."

"And he needs to have a word with you. But no fists—right Joey?"

"Nope..."

"Joey...."

"What? I said no..."

"Fine. Now give me a hug."

I heard them embracing from the living room and I felt, well, happy. I had thought that when this happened I would feel jealous or angry that he should think himself worthy enough to touch her...but no. I was glad that it had worked out between them. Glad that it was finally over.

That day marked the end of a lot of things, a lot of bad feelings, more like. But it was not over yet. I still needed that talk with Wheeler.

And a fine one it would be.


	15. The Mutt's Troubled Secret

OK!!! This chapter 15 is pretty weird, I tried to do a good job with its toughness or something, but I'm not sure if it sounded right…Please let me know, readers! This is really getting towards the end. I have exhausted my creativity TT……what shall I do? But don't worry! This is STILL not the last chapter, I assure you! The reviews were wonderful, people!! Thank you! Response:

Elusia: Glad you like the pairing!!! I like it too, and I am flattered that even though you normally hate this particular one you are enjoying it in this story. Please read this chapter! I want to know what you think of it!

Xaio23: Yes Joey is allergic to cats. Who cares, (besides Joey)? Lol. Oh and I don't think "pityfulness" is a word…..but you could use "pitiful state". Review, please!

EruditeBountyHunter: Thanks for the review! Glad you enjoyed it!!!! That makes me soo happy……thanks!!

kideshcaresh: I tried to make the blindness POV seem real and believable. I did a good job? YAY!! I trust you to judge me because you know from your friend, so please tell me if I'm doing anything wrong or describing anything unclearly! Thanks!

CaptainInuYahsa777: Don't worry about Seto! He'll be fine…I won't let him get his ass kicked by JOEY…(if you haven't noticed, I don't really like Jonouchi….) If you're a Joey fan, forgive me!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh….no, but I do own…something…wait, I'll think of it…….OH YEA!! The plot! Hee hee….that's mine! Can't touch this…

**Chapter 15: The Mutt's Troubled Secret **

Overall, I think Yugi and his friends were glad to see Wheeler, again. It sort of made me wonder if they had been speaking ever since Serenity and I got together. (Did I care, though?…no.) They made a lot of noise when he and Serenity entered the living room.

"Joey! You came!" Yugi jumped up and ran to him like they were goddamn lovers or something. I could picture it perfectly in my mind.

"Glad you decided to join us, Joseph." Valentine's voice, (which she seemed obsessed to make sound sassy), echoed across the room.

"What do you mean Mai? You invited me." Oh, I saw what was going on there. I would have loved to know if Valentine blushed at that.

Serenity came and sat down beside me, once more, as the rest of them greeted Joey in turn. I smelled a cat odor waft up and realized she was holding her cat. I like animals, (hence the whole vegan diet), but as it was, I had never really petted a cat.

"Seto, this is my baby." She took my hand and ran it gently over this small ball of fluff on her lap, which I took to be her cat. It felt nice, and I think it liked me because I felt it's small, padded little paws move onto my lap and sit down decisively.

I smiled, thinking of something. "You have a furry baby," I told Serenity.

Serenity laughed, inevitably reminding the geeks of our presence.

"Hello, Kaiba," Wheeler tried to be nice, for some reason I'm not sure of.

"Wheeler." I nodded my head slightly at no one in front of me. Everyone was dead silent. Even Serenity. Interesting little drama, I thought.

"Ummm….do you guys want to battle it out the gladiator way or the Congressional way?" Mai asked. Was that an attempt at humor? Damn…she really sucked.

"Uh…nah, that's ok, Mai. I really don't want to have to fight at all actually."

"Seriously?" Tèa asked. I was as surprised as she, but I chose not to voice it. Better no one knew.

"Yeah. I can do this the right way for once, I think. If Kaiba's willing to be civil…." What? Like Kaiba's ever uncivil? What DID he take me for?

"Sure. Why not, Wheeler?" I used a hint of arsenic in my voice, just to tell him what I thought of his implication.

"Fine."

……..No one did anything. Actually, that was untrue. Serenity's cat pushed its little head against my chest begging to be petted.

"I have to go to the bathroom!" Mokuba said and ran out of the room.

"…Me too!" Tristan said, following him.

"I'll…go get us more tea…" Tèa left.

"I'll…help…." Mai was gone.

"I'll….go put away the groceries!" Yugi fled the room.

"I have to the shop….." the grandfather in turn went out. I had forgotten about the game shop Yugi's grandfather owned. I wondered why I had missed it walking in. I concluded that Serenity had taken me in by a side door or a back door and I just wasn't aware of the difference. As always with blindness, I was half right, but not completely.

Only the three of us remained.

Suddenly Joey said something surprising. "Kaiba, let's take a ride."

"What?"

"Let's go for a drive. Come on, I got my car, let's go." But….no…it…he…why? "Whaddya think?"

"…Hell no."

"Why?"

"Yeah, Seto, why?"

Serenity! She was agreeing to this? I asked, "Serenity, does he have a permit?" Which was my way of asking, "Do you think this is safe, alright, and would you prefer it?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it." Her way of saying, "Yes, now go." (We had gotten used to speaking in code with each other and used it whenever we could.)

Ok, if she wanted me to go, I would. For her. But only for her, not for Wheeler.

"Fine, Wheeler. I concede. But not because you asked me, but because you have a permit." Meaning, "I will for you, Serenity."

Wheeler must have been so confused…I relish the thought.

It was cold outside. The watery smell of early evening drifted through Domino in a decisive sort of way.

Serenity, Wheeler, and I were standing at the side of Wheeler's car, unsure of what to do next, how to begin.

"Well….I'll see you guys later, ok? Joey, don't speed…..obey stop signs and street lights….be careful at intersections, remember you don't ALWAYS have the right of way….do you have a full tank of gas?"

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Wheeler, when did you start driving?" I asked, trying to abate my sudden doubt of his ability.

"Around the time when I was nine or ten." WHAT??

"And has your driving…dare I say, ability?....improved since then?"

"Yes, it has, Seto. Don't worry. You'll be fine."

I wanted to retort this comment. I felt like I was being placed in the hands of a mad man. But the fact was I did not have CHOICE in the matter. Serenity had decided that I was to go with her brother and try to work some things out. If I contradicted her, I would have nothing. So I was forced to go and put my life on the line, (for the second time in a car, unfortunately).

Wheeler opened the car door on the driver's side and Serenity helped me in the passenger's side. "See you later, Seto. It's alright, trust me." I did trust her……but not on this as much as usual.

"Ready, Kaiba?" Wheeler and I were sitting next to each other in his car. I was uncomfortably aware of the small space we were trapped in—or I was trapped in, he was there voluntarily.

Suddenly, and rather stupidly, I realized that this was the first time I had been in a car since the accident that blinded me. I was, well, shocked. I had to get out of there!

"Wheeler…." I began, as he started the engine with an agonized roar. It was too late.

"Yeah?"

He wouldn't understand. But I told him anyway. "This is new for me. I haven't been in a car since my accident."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well….you can say that I have rather...lost my taste for cars since then."

"I can see that."

He pulled away from the curb and I felt his foot step on the pedal as we sped up. He was probably only doing about 40…but it felt more like 90, to me. I thought I lost my balance in the car seat and I was pushed forward—an uncomfortable reminder of that day.

I closed my eyes to regain myself. But I saw something—actually saw something. It was a gray day—rain pouring heavily, I was in my limo working on my laptop, seeing with eyes so taken for granted, so perfect, it was like a dream or an undeserved wish. Then the screech….the metallic screech of metal on metal….the loss of power as everything shorted-out, my eyes, my laptop, my life.

I would have screamed from the sudden remembrance of this repressed past event, (I had never thought of this particular incident since then, and never had I remembered—in color—so vividly), but Wheeler was there. So I sighed, a heavy, deep, cleansing sigh that washed away all bad thoughts temporarily. I was aware of a small sickness worming its way inside me. Car-sickness.

"You ok?" Wheeler's annoying, heavily over-done voice startled me.

"Perfectly fine."

"You sure?"

"Wheeler, save your kindness."

"Ok…." He was silent, finally, but not for long. "Kaiba, why do you always gotta be like that?"

"Excuse me? Like what?"

"Like a jackass. Too stone-cold and hard-assed to listen to anybody but yourself. Even when you're being offered help. You'd ram yourself in the ground, dead and bleeding before you'd accept anyone's advice, wouldn't you?"

Yes, I actually would. Really, the mutt had hit it head on. I nodded discreetly and said nothing. I rocked back and forth with the car feeling more and more nauseous as it moved and stopped periodically at red lights and stop signs.

Right when I really thought I was going to be sick, Wheeler started up again with, "You know…its ok to talk about feelings once in a while. Sometimes it ain't good to be a stone-cold bastard."

Yeah, maybe in your life, Wheeler.

"I don't think so," I said.

"Why not?"

"Because I have found it infinitely better to be the hard-assed jack-off in more situations than one. Much more than one."

"…that's you."

"Yes."

"But sometimes…"

"Stop talking."

"WHY?? Just tell me why!"

"Because…" The blood in my veins ran in a sickly, acid, freezing temperature as my stomach lurched and I felt the vomit rise in the back of my throat. "Because I'm going to throw-up…"

"Dude! This is MY car!"

I coughed and swallowed hard, controlling the urge to vomit and forcing it down. It passed, but I had had enough car ride.

"Let's stop this joy-ride. Immediately."

"You ok?"

"No."

"Uh…ok…Let me pull over."

I waited until he did. Where were we? Where had Wheeler driven to?

He pulled over and clicked the engine into silence. I hit my hand against the door and searched desperately for the handle to open it. Once found, I pushed it as hard as I could and fled from the car—cane firmly in hand and spread out in front of me for safety. I stood and held my stomach pathetically hoping that the feeling would abate and let me be in peace. No such luck.

I wondered if the sickness had come from the car alone—the newness of its movement—or from the memory. I don't know why I thought of this possibility, suddenly, but I had to consider it.

Wheeler left his car and stepped out next to me. "Fine, now?"

"In a minute," I told him quietly, almost inaudibly. I waited and then, "Where are we, Wheeler?"

"Somewhere."

"You don't know…."

"To be honest…I missed the turn I was supposed to take as soon as you told me you were going to throw up."

"Seriously?" I stood up straight.

"Yeah."

That made me feel better. Oh so much better, I can tell you. "Shit. Double shit. Goddamn your pitiful driving skills, Wheeler!"

"Hey, you're the one who said you were going to throw up!"

"And indeed I was."

"Yeah, well, it distracted me!"

"Alright, ok, let's just find out where we are."

"Fine."

Of course I knew that we could always go back and ride the car again over where we just were, (if Wheeler could orientate himself enough to drive back to the game shop without getting us lost again), but that also meant going back in the dreadful car. Not just yet.

"Wheeler, what do our surroundings look like?"

"Hmm….let's see….umm…there's a building, well a couple of buildings, actually…a tree—hey a tree, you never find those in Domino, this is special, Kaiba!"

I stopped him and his nonsense. "I meant anything specific. Street signs, names of restaurants, the like."

"Oh…well, there're no signs…but there's this, like, big, brick house…run down, you know…in between two other buildings, and it has a billboard on the front that reads, 'Zigfreed's Pizza Place'….and…oh my God…"

"What?"

"Kaiba….I know where we are!"

Relief over me. "Good." I sighed slightly, removing the bad breath.

"No, no no no, not good. Not good at all! Must leave!" He scrambled back to the car. "Come on, Kaiba?"

What was going on? Was this place like taboo or something?

"Let's go!" I stood up straight but it was already too late.

Suddenly, a thick, ragged, undesirably loud voice belted out, "HEY WHEELER! What are YOU doing here??"

"Shit!" Joey whispered under his breath.

"Who is that?" I asked, not really wanting to know, but feeling it was necessary.

"Gang leader…I used to be part of a gang. I was kicked out of it, though, when I did something disrespectful to the leader. I'm not supposed to be here…." What??? Wheeler, (scrawny little Joseph Wheeler, whom I had beaten into the ground more than once), was once involved in a gang? No…

I remembered the day Serenity and I first fell in love. Wheeler had threatened to beat me up and actually tried to. He was sloppy, but effective—he knew where to hit. Now I knew where he had learned.

So, great, Wheeler was an exiled gang member and he took a wrong turn straight into their turf. Hmm…ironic….but I felt the tension rise up in stomach—though it was far from nervousness, alright?

"What are YOU doing here??" the husky-sounding leader, (who did not sound like he had an IQ above 25 or 30), repeated.

"Nothin'." Wheeler sounded nervous.

"Just passing through?" The leader was not alone—(it sounded like he was with 8 or 10 other people, though it was difficult to tell because he was talking so loudly he nearly drowned out all other noises surrounding him. I had to go by feeling alone, which was not a very reliable source). Not good.

"Yeah…something like that. I was just leaving…"

When he was right in front of us he stopped walking, (the rest of the others following suit just after him), and said, "Gee, that's funny, because I thought we told you never to show your sorry ass around here. Ever again."

"Did your stupid mind forget about that?" Another member from behind the leader said this. He had a low, gravelly voice.

"No…I just…"

"Just what?" The leader spoke again.

"Lost my way…"

They laughed. "Yeah…right…sure believe that…"

"Hey, who's your friend?" Another member, (different from the other two), asked. Finally, some attention. Damn I was bored.

"Oh, he's—.." Wheeler started not to finish.

"Wait, I know you. You're that rich boy Seto Kaiba! Don't you own a company or something? What's a guy like you doing in a place like this with a dummy like Wheeler?"

"Just leave him alone, man." Why was Wheeler protecting me? I was not afraid of these jag-offs.

"What, can't Rich Boy talk on his own?" Yet another gang member asked. They began moving closer to us. This was getting tiresome.

I heard a noise and Wheeler saying, "Hey, get off o' me!"

"Can't talk, Richie Rich?" Apparently they had chosen to hold down Wheeler and go after me, steal my money or something, and leave. The leader was after me, so I figure that I was about right. I still said nothing.

"What's with the cane?" He asked, grabbing it. I held on tight and ripped it out of his hands with some force. Some brief sounds of acknowledgement at this could be heard.

"Piss off, guys! We ain't hurting you!" Wheeler was shouting things like this the whole time.

The gang ignored him, though, and one of them said, "Hey, I remember hearing something about Kaiba-boy in the news. He's like blind or something!" Blind or something? Why did he put the "or something" after "Blind"…you either were or were not….no "or something"…ok, they were not intelligent.

And they were beginning to try my patience.

"Oh, really? Well, that makes it make easier!" He chuckled.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud in his face at this.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY, MONEY BAGS??" He shouted in my face. His breath smelled like a foul mixture of malt liquor and cigar smoke.

I did not answer. Why should I waste my breath on lesser beings?

"You know," another gang member said, moving still closer. I was aware of a pair of hands gripping my shoulders. They touched me. Such a mistake, so stupid. "This is a nice trench, Kaiba-boy." He flicked its collar for no reason. "I think I want it."

"That's too bad…" I said, speaking for the first time. "I don't think it will go with your skirt."

Some of the gang members laughed at this and howled sounds that relished in the witty insult. "He played you, man—…"

"SHUT UP IDIOTS!" He pushed one of the guys and they stopped laughing.

"You're pretty pushy for a blind man, Kaiba."

"You're pretty manly for a girl." More suppressed laughter.

"Pretty funny, Kaiba boy…" His voice was an angry whisper. "Pretty fucking funny!"

He swung at me. But he was too sloppy, much like Wheeler was, only worse because I'm pretty sure he was drunk.

I dodged him easily. I think they were all a little surprised at this, for he did not retaliate immediately afterward.

Though I did not give them time to, really.

I concentrated on my hearing and felt out their positions, one by one. I swung my cane up and hit each and every one of them with it—hard, bone-crushingly hard.

Of course the guy with his hands on my shoulders dropped them and I was free. But a couple of them managed to get up and come at me again. I moved back and then turned with my cane at my side, knocking them down again with the wooden club. It was strong enough to break whatever bones they had left.

No one got up after that. But there was still the guy holding down Wheeler to consider. I heard his shocked gasping as I walked toward him and my friend. I coked my head to one side, as if to ask the boy, "Do you really want to do this?"

Sure enough he ran away screaming, (literally).

I turned my head in the general direction I believed Wheeler to be in. "Damn…" he said. "I'm not gonna mess with you."

"Do you think you could turn us around and get us out of this hellhole?"

"I think I could work something like that out…but just tell me one thing. Where the hell did you learn how to do that blind?"

I smirked and wiped the blood off my cane with the side of my trench coat. "Wheeler just get in the damn car. I'll tell you on the way back."

I more than willingly moved to get into the car. But Wheeler said, "Wait, I'll help you, Kaiba."

He did. "Thank you," I said, sitting back in the car, relaxed by the relief of sitting down but uncomfortable by Wheeler's help.

Then I thought. We could help each other out, I guess. I had beaten the big-bad gang from which Wheeler had been excommunicated. He felt like he needed to reciprocate, I suppose.

I was fine with that.

Maybe, Serenity had been right. Driving with a maniac could have its positive outcomes.


	16. What's It Like?

Well, this is very close to the end. One more thing has to happen and then I'll probably just do a double update for the next chapter and the Epilogue. Sorry the update took so long. Writer's block sucks so badly. (Damn the sensation that opposes all writing with a vengeance!!) Oh my god, thank you so much reviewers: Love you all! Response:

SetosBlueDragon: First of all, I love what you changed your penname to. It's just awesome! Second I worked extremely hard getting the essence of Kaiba's blindness and his new aspect on life, (you're right he is the best character of Yu-Gi-Oh, no ifs ands or buts about it!-). I did well? YAY!! Thanks!! Kaiba is soft…whoops…I did not mean for him to be…sorry. This is the future part: ENJOY KIND READER!! I loved hearing from you, thank you so much! Oh and sorry it took so long for me to update….like I said: writer's block.

Xaio23: laugh Well, of COURSE Kaiba could protect himself, silly! No, seriously, though, Joey was in an evil gang, yes….wasn't he in the manga? Oh well. I think that's cool don't you?

BlackCharmGirl: Thanks for reviewing! I loved hearing from you again! I tried to make it brutal…yet sweet, (I know that makes no sense, but…). Yes Joey and Seto are friends now. I had to come up with something drastic to make them friends, but it worked out in the end. And, yes, Kaiba is a skinny blind guy. But let us not forget: He's MY skinny blind guy-!

Kidishcaresh: Welcome! Please review this chapter, need to hear your opinion!

CaptainInuYasha777: goes to hug Kaiba with you

Elusia: Kaiba kicks ass wherever he goes, don't you think? LOL Thanks for reviewing! Please continue!

EruditeBountyHunter: I tried to make that sentence wrap up the meaning of the gang scene….like they were friends now and stuff……tell me it worked. I wasn't sure so….thanks for reviewing! Could you let me know what you think of this chapter?

Ninge: Yeah, I know…you're probably thinking, "This girl, talking to me again?!" Sorry! But I just wanted to thank you for reviewing in between updating To Truly See. So thanks!! I appreciate it!!

Setalina Muro: I thank you for your review!!! Hope you liked it!! Yeah, Serenity's cat really was cute, wasn't it? Awww….. I'm really trying with the blindness portrayal. Glad I'm doing a good job!! Thanks again and please review! (Sorry it took so long…)

Disclaimer: Has it occurred to anyone yet that I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh?

**Chapter 16: What's It Like?**

Memories of the car accident flooded back to me in a rush. "Kaiba? What's it like to be blind?" was the question asked when—no, I should retell this from before that part. I guess you need some background.

The speed of the car wasn't so nauseating this time. I don't know if it was because I had gotten some violence out of my system—the blood from which I still had on my trench coat—or because I was just getting used to it.

"Do you know how to get back to the shop from here, Wheeler?" I asked, a little unsure myself.

His voice answered from somewhere in the dark next to me with confidence, "Yep—see, it's just this turn right here." The car lurched to the right and he emphasized the fact that he knew which way we were going again.

"Good, then." I planned for a silent car ride, but was not indulged.

I had forgotten the whole reason Wheeler and I had gone on this little escapade into gang-hell; it was to talk about Serenity and I. Why had we lost track of that thought? (Oh, it was somewhere between getting lost and beating up a gang, I suppose.) Sometimes there was just too much to sort out and one subconsciously procrastinates in talking about it out loud. I suppose that's what Wheeler and I did.

We were silent for a while, actually, before Wheeler said, "Nice night," suddenly.

"Looking for a kiss?" I asked sarcastically.

"What—no!" Poor flustered Wheeler jumped back away from me in his surprise. "God, Kaiba…no…..it was a conversation starter." I was contributing, wasn't I? I said nothing in defense or response to him. "Don't you know anything about conversation?" he demanded.

"Actually, I know remarkably little."

"Oh, yeah, that's right; you spend all your time with computers and business…" I could feel the sneer plastered across his face mocking me. Useless.

"Well," I said, smiling myself. "Not _all_ my time…anymore, I mean." He knew what I meant, I think.

"Hey. Hey, come on, hey."

"Hey what?" I asked.

"You didn't touch her, did you?" At this, the laughter burned within me. But I had to control it to seem even remotely sane—(at that time, I thought my show of violence with the gang hadn't helped me picture any. It hadn't).

"Wheeler," I said, the smallest hint of my hysteria burning through. "Sometimes when two people love each other very, very much…." I struggled to remain indifferent.

"You didn't," Wheeler said flatly.

"Why the hell do you care?"

"Because she's my sister!"

"You don't own her!" He didn't. Why couldn't he see that Serenity was not as young as Wheeler thought?

I thought back to that day when I beat Wheeler in the duel, (ok….that was a lot of times…well, the most recent one). He was all pissed off because Serenity had neglected to tell him that she had talked to me about my life once before. I don't know why, but that seemed a little possessive of him now—childish, even. Why had this not occurred to me before? I guess because I had seen, (figuratively, of course), another side of Serenity that Wheeler had not. Damn, I thought. How could I explain that to him? It barely made sense to me.

Wheeler was quiet, though. I fancied he was thinking about what I had said, but he was not. "Serenity is my little sister," he told me, unnecessarily. I already knew that. "I'm supposed to be taking care of her, you know how that is, right? You have a little brother…Mokuba."

If all the truth was told, (thank God it was not, however, but if it was), I would have had to say that most of the time I let Mokuba do whatever the hell he wanted as long as he left me alone while I was working. He didn't even have to go to school if he didn't want to.

But the whole truth was not told so instead of saying this I said, "Mokuba is free to do what he wants when I let him." (Which was all the time, as I just said.)

"So is Serenity." I had to say that there was a small hint of grief in his voice. I wondered why.

"Not much, it seems." A thought came to me, what were we talking about? For no reason at all I put my head in my hands and said, "Look, Wheeler, don't be possessive over your little sister."

"I'm not being possessive!" he actually yelled then.

"Oh? Well, just sitting here listening to you makes me sick, you know that?" I had decided that the only way to get through to Wheeler was to be truthful—blunt.

"Yeah, well I really don't care what you think, alright?"

It occurred to me that maybe I had hit a bad spot in Wheeler's life. "Not alright. What's with you and this? Just get over your damned self." This was all happening so fast….it seemed the speed of the car had increased along with the flow of the "conversation". Why were we yelling at each other?

"…..Why does it make you sick, Kaiba?"

I tried to be tactful. "You think you own her life because you want to protect her? Well, you can't. Trust me. One day you think you have everything under control and then you just don't, ok? If you let yourself think your too much in control it only makes it harder to get over the realization. It slaps you, Wheeler, and it hurts a damn lot. Life plays to be nasty. Covering up your sister doesn't help, even though you think it does. So—for goddamn's sake—just GET OVER IT!"

Tactful never was one of my virtues.

What had just happened there? One minute we were talking about the night…..the next I was yelling at him. Was I even talking about Serenity there? Or was I telling him some deep distant thought I had had in the events just after the accident that resurfaced suddenly? Why? What had Wheeler said—there was too much to sort out. Subconsciously, I procrastinated.

There was to be no more talking in Wheeler's car that nice night. I had silenced the both of us.

An unspoken decision was made to neglect telling the others of anything that had happened in the car. What they didn't know couldn't hurt them, right? Plus, I hated to think of the way the night would turn if we started out like, "Well, Wheeler got us involved in a gang fight and then I totally lost my entire goddamn mind in the car on the way back. I'm still trying to collect myself from that, by the way, but how was the tea?" Yeah…no.

Wheeler stopped the car in relatively the same place as when we had left, (I felt as soon as I stepped on the concrete—it felt familiar). He got out of the car almost as soon as he killed the car and did not help me out. I didn't really need his help, but it took longer for me to find the door handle by touch-and-feel. Time consuming, but not horrible.

I walked out of the car and felt around with my cane. Wheeler opened the door to the game shop and entered. I heard the hum of voices inside rise upon his entering, (saying things like, "Hey, man! Where's Kaiba?"). That helped me a good deal, for I did not have the façade of Yugi's house memorized. I had to walk along the lawn and I think I crushed some flowers with my cane on my way to the door, but the voices were my guide and following them I ended up inside relatively quickly.

When the door opened, I heard Serenity practically fly over to me. She gave me a hug and quick kiss. With a tiny whisper in my ear she said, "Thank you," and lead my inside.

"Hi, Seto! Have fun?" Mokuba's tiny voice floated around the room in short, excited bursts. I thought, guiltily, about my letting Mokuba run-amok.

"Hi, Mokuba," was my only response. Serenity lead me down to the chair. I felt the presence of all the people that were in the house. I heard their quiet breathing and discomfort in the silence, (reminding myself involuntarily of the gentle hum that had been going on before I entered). It was all caused by me, but I did not feel any guilt.

"So, umm, where did you guys, like, go?" Téa began, unintelligently.

"Nowhere…" Wheeler said quickly.

All other futile attempts at conversation were met with distant replies and soon ceased entirely.

"Well, it really is getting late—isn't tomorrow a school day?" Yugi's grandfather tried after about ten agonizing minutes of silence. Yes! Go the hell way! Yes!

"Oh, yeah! Serenity are you coming with us tomorrow?" Mai asked. Was she? I had stupidly forgotten that Serenity did have to go to school.

"Yeah. I will."

"Why don't you come home with me then, Serenity?" Wheeler asked. I was afraid of that. "It'll be easier to go to school."

I did not protest, even though I was sure I would have had this been two months ago, (that's all it had been since the accident, only two months. It seemed longer, with all the time Lock and I had spent together, but it was not). Serenity had to decide for herself, I would not own her.

Carelessly, (you had to really know Serenity to know that she was faking the confidence, which she was), she said, "No thanks, Joey. I have a ride for tomorrow." But she didn't have one. I said before that I had stopped using my limo since Rollin died, and she would have had to walk. I was confused, but I guess she really did not want to go with Wheeler.

"Oh, ok. In a limo, I guess, right?" Wheeler's grief returned in his voice.

"Nope, I'll just—.." But I never heard what Serenity would just, because right then Yugi asked, "Hey Kaiba? Where did you get that stain on your trench coat?" Damn! I had forgotten…stupid.

Acting dumb, I said, "What stain?" I heard Wheeler curse under his breath.

"It's like red….and stuff."

"Is that blood?" Mai asked.

"It most certainly is not!" Wheeler shouted, the grief gone from his voice.

"It is isn't it?" Serenity knew Wheeler. But then he was easy to read. He practically told them it was blood by his sudden shouting.

"Yep, it is," I said. The laughter that was suppressed in me from before was felt again. I tried to hide it once more. There were a few gasps from Yugi's crowd and Joey cursed again, more loudly this time. Yugi's grandfather was saying things like, "Where did that come from?" in a tired, shocked voice. "Did you get that on your ride with Joey?"

The only people who were not affected by this piece of news were Serenity, Mokuba, myself, (obviously), and Serenity's cat—who had made her presence known by plopping down lazily as soon as I sat. They actually laughed, (well the cat didn't do anything, but they laughed along with me).

Our laughter, (mine was insane, actually), exploded throughout the room. It was unsynchronized and weird, but it really was funny. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!" Over and again. Serenity giggled her school-girl laugh and Mokuba chuckled hard. I just totally belted. The laughter that was caught up in me just got the better of me.

"Umm….what are you guys laughing at?" Tristan asked. I think he had begun smirking as well, (it probably was infectious). What were we laughing at, anyway?

"I don't know," Mokuba said. "But it was really funny."

"Yeah," I said. "It was." Serenity was still giggling lightly, but she said, "Hmm….sorry guys."

"It's ok!" Yugi was laughing a little when he said this. "I've never seen Kaiba laugh like that before."

I just realized my mistake. I had let my guard down. Dammit.

"Yeah, well Kaiba has kind of changed," Mai said. "I noticed it when you walked in. There was just something different about you."

"I'm blind." I just stated it bluntly. I had gotten used to the embarrassment, (shame?), of admitting it, so I just did it naturally.

"Well, yeah, but there's something else. I don't know…."

"Yeah, you're, like, nicer now," Tristan said.

"I like the change in you, Kaiba," Yugi said. Now I was really confused. Wasn't he the one telling me what an ass I was when we were sitting here before hand? I remembered him saying, "Do you understand that at all, Kaiba?" "No." "I didn't think so." Why had he changed his mind?

I was about to mention this when he said, "Even though you still are a jerk….at least you're a nice jerk."

I squinted my poor eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Serenity said. "That's just like you, Seto. Just like the fact that you have blood on your trench coat and you're just wearing it like it's normal or something…" she began giggling horrendously at the end, again.

"What…am…I…missing?" Confusion did not taste very good in my mouth.

"We're still friends, Kaiba."

"We never were friends, Yugi."

"Yes we were. That's why I visited you in the hospital that time, Seto. I wanted you to realize that, but….you didn't. Oh well. It doesn't matter. Just forget about it, ok?"

"Wait, forget about what? What are you talking about?"

Some impatient sighs sounded. What the hell? "Why always me?" I asked. Some people laughed. I was so confused, (as I'm sure you are, right now, as I tell you this).

"Because you're special, Seto," Serenity put her arm around me and kissed me. I raised an eyebrow and said, "It's good to be special, I suppose." I hadn't meant to be funny, but somehow they all laughed—even Joey.

Once silence reigned again, I was left with the events of the night in my head. Memories of the car accident flooded back to me in a rush for the same inexplicable reason as before.

Suddenly, Joey asked, "Kaiba, what's it like to be blind?" Everyone got even quieter.

How to answer this? What was it like to be blind to a person who could see? I mean, how could you describe to them the feeling….

"There's no short or simple answer to that question, Wheeler."

"Then give us the long version," Téa said. I wondered why Serenity was not answering, (after all, didn't she know?). But just like I had given her the space with Wheeler, she gave me the space with this question.

"Well, it's like being trapped sometimes, Wheeler. You're in the dark, after all. No one's there with you. Shadows are cast in your mind as you think you are all alone, even when you're not.

"But sometimes it's like being at peace. Nothing's in front of you. I mean it takes a while to feel like this, but you feel it…eventually.

"And there are times when you feel dead. After all, you can't see anything so what is life? The trapped feeling because hard and, you just don't want to consider things, anymore." I let myself go. "But for me, being blind is life. So, yes, it's hard, but like all other things, you have to live with it. Start over with it."

"That was a good answer, Kaiba," Wheeler said.

"Well, we better be going," Serenity said after a moment's silence. "It's way past Mokuba's bedtime."

"I'm not tired!" Mokuba protested. As if on cue, he yawned heartily.

I smiled and said, "Good-bye." The farewells were said and then we left just as we came in—together.

They never did ask me where I had gotten the blood from. Unless Wheeler told them, I don't think they ever knew.

After we had successfully brought Mokuba to bed, (quite an easy task, I promised to hold up his bedtime maybe a little stronger to attempt some kind of discipline), Serenity and I lay in bed together.

"That was weird," I said.

"It was cool! I liked your description of being blind. It was true—pure truth."

"You thought so?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, I guess you would know, eh?"

"Oh yeah."

Fricky was lying in between Serenity and I as if she had lain there all her life. I smoothed her fur lightly and said, "Speaking of speeches, the Stage Awards are coming up."

"And what are those?" She asked sleepily.

Not wanting to disturb her sleep pattern, I said, "Nothing, Serenity. Just sleep." I felt around for her face and when I found it, I stroke it gently until her breathing smoothed out in sleep.

However, the awards were actually not nothing. They were something. And that's where my story ends.


	17. The Stage Awards

The last full chapter of the fanfic, it's really long, but so are all normal good-byes….I'm so sad……sorry it had to end so soon!!!! Reviewers:

Elusia: Lol….yaoi fangirl, just like so many….Glad you enjoyed the ending and, well, (if you couldn't tell by the chapter title), here are the Stage Awards! Sorry if this seems a little redundant at this point, but thanks for you review and have fun reviewing these last two updates!

Kideshcaresh: It seems the good things have to end sometime…..so sad. I did well with the description of Kaiba's blindness? YAY!!! Thanks, and please review!

Xaio23: I tried to make that part seem real, I hope it was not in vain, and according to you it was not, thanks! Lol, just like Stephanie's shirt…I really like that shirt, you know. REVIEW!!!

Setosbluedragon: You liked that, huh? YAY!!! Everyone's saying it was so real…so_ Seto_….lol, I love saying that. Thanks for reviewing.

SetalinaMuro: Well, too much of a good thing, eh? Yeah, I didn't really get what they were laughing at, either. I asked Serenity and she didn't know either. So don't feel bad. I liked the description at the end of the chapter as well. It was supposed to seem real and I guess it did according to my reviewers. Cool! Sequels….hmm, I have to think about it. No doubt I will notify you if I do write one, but for now just review these two chapters, please. Thanks!

CaptainInuYasha777: Ahh!! Help! runs away Ok! OK! Here an update! Sorry it had to end, but, trust me, you'll like the ending—I promise!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh….yeah, you know. I've said it about, hmm, sixteen times already.

**Chapter 17: The Stage Awards**

The letter was on my desk the following morning.

It had been a tough morning, to say the least, with Serenity scrambling to get to school on time without a limo/bus service. In the end, she had to walk, which made me feel bad, even though she said she was perfectly fine with it,

I had not worked on any Kaiba Corp. business since Lock's death, (which was not at all long ago), and I was somewhat embarrassed by this. People had grown used to seeing me out of the office. I hated that. I mean, walking into your own company should be a relatively simple, painless thing to do. Not the case this time.

"Oh, Mr. Kaiba! I was not aware that you were going to be back at Kaiba Corp. so soon! How are you doing?"

"Oh, Mr. Kaiba! You're back! Listen, I have some bad news regarding some of our business with Industrial Illusions…"

"Wow, didn't expect to see you here so soon, Mr. Kaiba. I am personally of the opinion that people need at least three weeks time to—…" "I really don't care what your opinion is, Ms. Hirotito. Get back to work!"

So, the day began with Serenity's poor feet having to walk miles to school, (so it seemed to me), and my biting coworkers' heads off. Never a good recipe, (even though the latter happened quite often).

You'd think that nothing good could come out of a day like that. But not Seto Kaiba's day, oh no. This was the day I received my invitation to the "54th Annual Stage Awards for the Friendless". Of course Mokuba and I had added on that part at the end because we hated going. They were this big waste of time, especially for me. But sure enough, the letter was on my desk as soon as I stepped into my office that morning.

Ever since I had been blinded, I kept my desk relatively clean. Spotless, in fact, of anything other than the day's important notices, (to be read to me by an employee), and my faithful, sacred laptop. So, it came as a surprise when I set down my cane against the side of the desk, sat in my step-father's old chair, and ran my hand over the surface of the desk, searching for my blessed computer, and found a letter on top of the laptop.

I almost knew what it was before I called in my useless—I shouldn't say useless, she helped me find Lock's dead body that day, but for any other purpose she really had no use—secretary Lola and asked, briskly because of the day's events, "Did you drop this letter here before I came in?"

Shakily, she walked, (staccato heels making noisy, tapping sounds that bounced of all the walls in the hallway, annoyingly), into my office and, (even more shakily), she answered, "Umm….not today, Mr. Kaiba. I put it there yesterday."

"That would be before I came in, wouldn't it?"

"Oh…well, I suppose it would…." Maybe useless is a good word…

"Fine," I still needed her to do something. "Read it aloud for me, please."

"Oh, sure, sir!" She came and read,

"_From the Elite Desk of the _

_Committee of Appreciation _

_Formally addressed to a Mr. Seto Kaiba,_

_Presenting the 54th Annual Stage Awards. As we are sure you have heard the time has come to ring-up the curtain on our notorious Stage and bring out the Awards._

_The purpose of these awards is simple: We have selected well known, remarkable people such as yourself and offer them awards based on their achievements of the past year. There is competition; our judges and the public vote on who they believe deserves the award the most. So it is partially a public event. The list of awards you are nominated for will be given along with further details upon your compliance to this letter and your arrival. _

_The event will take place on Friday, the 29th of January at 9:00 in the evening. You are strongly recommended to come._

_The Stage Awards hold significant meaning in respect to the lives of its participants, nominees, and, of course, the winners. It is meant not only as an afterthought of past actions, but as recognition for the past and encouragement for the future. _

_Ceremonies will begin promptly at 9:00. It is suggested that you come early. Do not be late or you will miss your award. Donations are accepted and greatly appreciated. _

_With Our Most Sincere Respect and Admiration,_

_Jonathan J. Wassermaning (President of the Committee of Appreciation)_

_Stacy Jackawicz (Vice President)_

_And_

_Pegasus J. Crawford (our Sponsor)_

That is the end, sir." (A/N: I didn't really keep up with the date of events in this story because I did not think it would be a problem, but when I came up with the Stage Awards I realized it was. No, I had nothing in here about how Seto spent his holidays or the weather or anything seasonal. So if you wanted that, my apologies. It was too late to go back and rewrite the whole thing. Oh, and any similarities to names at the end is purely coincidental.)

"Thank you, Lola. You may go." She really had gotten good at reading to me; she knew to read every line, no matter how insignificant, even who had printed the paper, and she read in a monotone without giving any opinion whatsoever about the content of the letter. I could not ask any more of her, she was trained well.

Just as I heard her heels clink out of my office, she asked, "Will you go, Mr. Kaiba?"

"You are dismissed, Lola. Thank you." This was a polite way of saying, "I don't know yet, go the hell away and take your questions with you."

Let me give you some background about the horrid Stage Awards. They are held for a few reasons, none of which are ever mentioned in their letters, (even though everyone knows what they are), and their true meaning is to get some publicity going for a while. People decided one day to make money off of celebrities by giving out awards at the beginning of a new year. So began the Committee of Appreciation and the Stage Awards. I really don't know what they're appreciating, but it has something to do with me, so I give them a donation when they invite me to these things.

What the letter said about how the winners are decided was true. Judges from the Committee and the public vote on the different nominees, (always and only celebrities with an income greater than two million dollars per year), for each award. It is taken relatively seriously by voters, there is an online poll for them to vote at and they watch the show when it is broadcasted on television eagerly waiting to see if the person they voted for will win. It's a sort of well known thing. In fact, few don't know about the production, (Serenity included, ironically). After all, it has all the sappy ingredients for success: celebrities, awards, public participation in the voting, celebrity hosts, and a national broadcasting range.

But to me, the Stage Awards are one of the seven hells. Each time I am invited I find myself having a horrible time and Mokuba always ends up asleep by the time the last award, (the best award entitled "Greatest Achievement"), is given out. The first time I was invited to them, (the year Kaiba Corp. had become a multi-billion dollar company, coincidentally), I was actually flattered about going. I thought it was this whole thing that had importance or something. I won a few awards, but nothing to get excited about. Mostly, I was just a nominee.

Not that I minded this. After all, Pegasus, as its sponsor, was probably the only reason why I was invited in the first place—he always said he liked all the promise I showed. In fact, because Yugi devastated Pegasus the year before and he would not be taking any part in it at all, I had expected to be left out of the 54th celebration. No such luck.

Besides, the awards given out are embarrassing, sappy and perhaps the worst part of the whole night. They have such things as, "Most Popular Person", "Sexiest Person" (embarrassingly enough I was actually nominated for this award once or twice…never to have won, fortunately), "Person Who Made the Most Movies", "Person Who Made the Most Money" (yes, this is an actual award and this has been the one of the few awards I have ever won), and, as I said before, "Greatest Achievement". Really nothing important, at most a shame to its name, not betterment.

Now the question was, (as Lola said), if I was going to go to this bothersome thing on the 29th, two weeks from tomorrow. I was blind now and well, simply not up to it. How would I accept the award? Someone would have to lead me to the stage, not even my cane could help me…unless I went to the coliseum where the Awards were to be held before the actual night with Serenity or Mokuba and I would memorize the way or something…but that was IF I was to go to these things.

I decided to ask Mokuba, (even though I knew he would want very much for me to go), and then Serenity. If she was still up to talking by the time she got home.

Mokuba was always hanging around Kaiba Corp. He never really did anything; he just kind of walked around and talked to me when I wasn't busy. (Despite my private resolution to become more disciplined with him, I just could not make him go to school. Even now when I was immune to his puppy-dog eyes, which were at one time undeniable, he begged so hard I had to let him stay home. He was making me so soft and it really had to stop.) So he was the first one I consulted with on the topic.

"Hiya, Seto! What's up? How's the day back?" He had casually strolled into my office suddenly and I was vigorously working on my laptop. It took me all of three minutes to notice him standing there, but we were both used to this.

"I'm actually not having a day from hell today," I told him after the three minutes were up.I turned my attention back to my laptop, forgetting for a moment about my invitation.

Luckily, Mokuba saw the letter on my desk. It was probably in a white envelope, very noticeable. "Hey, Seto, where'd you get this letter from?" Now I remembered the whole thing perfectly. I heard him pick it off my desk and open it. "Oh, the Stage Awards, again! I had forgotten about them with everything that happened last year."

"Oh, yes, that. Should I go?"

"Yeah! Of course you should go! Why wouldn't you?" He was talking very loudly, excitedly; childishly wound-up over something was stupid as this. And he just didn't understand.

"Well….this year has turned out to be different from the rest, Mokuba." I hoped he knew what I meant.

"I know. But still, something like that doesn't really matter with something like the Stage Awards, you know?" He leaned on my desk for a little while, talking about nothing, and then he went away. I tried to figure out what he meant. I guessed it was something like, "Don't worry about it."

And yet it was something to worry about.

Serenity was in a fine mood when she came home later that day. (By home, of course, I mean she went directly to Kaiba Corp. instead of my actual home. Kaiba Corp. is normally referred to as our "first home". The mansion is our "second home". Always.) In fact, as soon as she arrived in my office she laid her backpack down on the sofa in front of my desk and ran over to me and gave me a kiss on the check.

"Well, hi!" She said, perkily, after the kiss.

"Hi…." I said, exasperated.

"How was your day?"

"Fine…..damn, this is perfect….I can't stand it." It was like something out of a goddamn 70s show, almost. (I guess there really aren't any blind guys in perfect 70s shows….)

She laughed. "Yeah…sorry." She sat down on the couch and I heard her unzip the backpack's zipper and pull something out of it. It sounded like a book.

"I bought you something on the way home from school today." She walked back over to me. I turned my full attention away from the computer on my desk and swung my chair over to her. My useless eyes moved dispiritedly with me.

Serenity grasped my hand, lightly, lovingly from where it lay across the keyboard, (I had memorized the positions of each key), and put it on a hard, square object. Feeling around on it I discovered something was written on the cover in embossed lettering, but I could not tell by feel what it said.

"What does it say?" I asked her.

"It says 'How to Read Braille'. The translation in Braille is on the bottom." She moved my hand to the bottom and I felt the bumps on the bottom that meant nothing to me. This was one of Lock's wishes. In his Last Will he had said, "Learn Braille, Seto Kaiba." But I hadn't thought to do so this soon….

"Thanks, but I don't have time for this, Serenity."

"Of course you do. I can help!" She was very cheerful, ironically different from this morning. She really wanted this.

"Serenity…." I really didn't want this.

"Yes?"

"…………..Ok. I'll try it."

"WOOHOOO!!" She jumped up—literally—and gave me another kiss, (a bigger one and this time on the lips). "Thanks for indulging me, Seto."

"Sure." Braille. The thought of it was so….final. But, then again, not in a bad way. I'd try it, for Serenity's sake and my own.

I still had my question. "Serenity, have you ever heard of the Stage Awards?"

"Nope."

"Really?"

"No….Wait….yeah, once." She had gone to sit down again after placing the book on my spotless desk. I didn't want it there, but said nothing, not wishing to get off track.

"When?"

"I saw a commercial for it while I was watching T.V. one day."

"Right, do you know what they are?" I shut my laptop. The days work would have to wait for Serenity.

"No….sorry."

"That's fine." I explained to her just as I did before to you. "And I was just invited to them today."

"Wow Seto! You should go! It sounds very important, no matter what you say." She asked for the invitation and I gave it to her. Her reading was silent; I heard only the crinkling of the paper as she held it. "Even better! They sound really into you going, too!"

"Serenity, they have to sound like that. Otherwise no one would go."

"Yeah, so it works as planned!" She giggled that infectious giggle. I smirked and then reminded myself forcefully that I had to be serious about this, it was serious business.

"Serenity, I don't want to go." Why lie to her?

"Why?" she asked, her giggle gone, replaced by hurt and deep shock.

"Because I'm blind and I hate these things."

"Blind…hate…..oh I see. You're scared." WHAT???!!

"I am not scared!" I stopped staring in front of me and turned my head to look at her voice. She had struck a chord.

"Are, too! You don't want to be made fun of so you're not going to go! It's just like you and school! You stopped going because you didn't want to have to try to overcome the fear. Fine, Seto. I won't stop you."

She was…..right. I had quit going to school ever since I was blinded. I told myself I didn't care enough to go, that's all it was. But I was scared. To death. Of what? I don't know…not the ridiculing or the mocking. I think it was the shame of going somewhere with a disability.

"You're right. Serenity, you're right."

"I am?" She was surprised by my agreement. Never was I this agreeable.

"Yes. I'll go to these Stage Awards. But you're definitely coming." As much as I didn't want to, I had to go. To overcome the fear.

"YAY!! Thanks, Seto." And, partially for Serenity.

"Lola!" I called into the hallway.

"Y-yes, Mr. Kaiba?" Her heels clinked over to the doorway.

"Call back the Committee of Appreciation. Confirm my arrival at their ceremony."

"Please….." Serenity added in a tone that reprimanded me and compensated Lola. Whatever.

"Alright, sir and Ms. Wheeler!" She clinked away and I heard her on the phone not too long after.

"I guess Mokuba's coming, too," Serenity said, turning to me.

"Absolutely."

She sighed and sat down on the couch. The springs of the furniture moaned under her soft body. "Well, I'll have to pick out outfits for the both of you, then."

"Outfits?" I asked. It wasn't really that kind of party…was it? I had never celebrated it in such a way.

"Yep. Don't worry; I know to get black for you, Seto. But what about Mokuba? I don't know…." She went on sort of talking to herself about what she would do. I smiled and opened up my laptop to get back to work. The Stage Awards….again. But this time it would be an adventure.

Serenity had no trouble at all finding the outfits she wanted for us and herself. On the night of the Awards, she told us both what we were going to put on.

The time was 6:30 pm on January the 29th. The three of us were at our second home, the mansion, and were getting ready. We had to be the first ones there; I had to memorize the placement of everything before we were seated. I needed plenty of time to do this.

"Let's go, guys!" Mokuba was running around the house in his usual manner of frightening excitement. "We don't want to be late!"

"If we leave now it will be physically impossible for us to be late," I reminded him. I was sitting on a couch in one of the living rooms holding my thick, wooden cane in both hands and listening to Mokuba run in circles around me. We were waiting for Serenity to come down.

"I'm ready!" a distant cry from upstairs announced. Heavy footsteps on the ceiling, then the stairs, and Serenity was down to meet us.

"Wow…" Mokuba said. "You look nice Serenity!"

"Thanks," she replied, her voice modest. My heart ached sharply for a moment with the want to see her. But I pushed this away promptly. I had learned how to deal with such emotions.

Serenity's heels announced their way over to me and she put her small hands on my shoulders. "Let's go," she whispered in my ear.

"Sure," I said, standing up and kissing her hands.

"Come on, guys! Let's go!" Mokuba was already half-way out the house.

"Coming!" Serenity called to him. Then to me she said, "Boy, he's excited, isn't he?"

"Well, to him it's a big thing," I said.

"It should be to you, too."

"I suppose." We shared a kiss then. Not an incredibly long one, but enough to put me in a good mood for the rest of the hour.

"GUYS!!!" Mokuba called out again.

We pulled away from each other's lips. "Alright!" Hands clasped together we walked to the door and met him.

"Sheesh, what took you so long?" He wouldn't understand, so Serenity and I just shared a secretive smile.

We would go by way of limo. There was no chance the three of us would walk the twenty miles, (it would take us about a half hour to get there by car), and a limo was provided by the Committee, anyway. Cars didn't really scare me anymore after the ordeal Wheeler and I went through, so this didn't bother me. The limo-driver had been told to come early, (of course everyone running the show had been notified of my wish to memorize the area before opening time), and was waiting for us outside.

In the limo, Mokuba told us again how excited he was.

"We know, we know, Mokuba. You don't have to tell us anymore." Serenity giggled.

"Yup…Seto, what are you nominated for, again?"

"I don't know," I answered. "I told Lola not to tell me."

"What?!" He was exasperated. "Why?"

"I don't care."

"Fine, then it will be a surprise." Serenity knew how to make better of a situation. Mokuba was satisfied with this.

"Okay…but you should know, this way it won't be too much of a surprise." The rest of the way Mokuba and Serenity played word games and I contemplated Kaiba Corp.'s stocks.

Arrival was quiet. The reporters had only started to come because it was so early, 7:00. Sure, we had to take pictures for a few newspapers and such, but it was not the usual chaos of, "Mr. Kaiba! Look here!" "Mr. Kaiba, this way!" "Mr. Kaiba, how's your company doing?" "Mr. Kaiba, what are you nominated for tonight?" "You brought your brother, Mr. Kaiba? How cute! This way!"

Inside, we were greeted by Mr. Wassermaning himself. "Hello, Mr. Kaiba, Master Mokuba, and…..umm….Mr. Kaiba's girlfriend!" Serenity giggled softly.

"Jonathan, how are you?" I asked.

"Good, good, can't complain. Glad you decided to come!" He shook my hand vigorously with both of his. "It'll be a good night, I think."

"I'm really excited about tonight, Mr. Wassermaning!" Mokuba told him.

"Ah! The kid's got the right idea!" He laughed heartily. You would expect the President of a Committee called the "Committee of Appreciation" to be appreciative and overenthusiastic. Jonathan Wassermaning was no disappointment. "Now, is there anything you need me to do to help, Mr. Kaiba?"

"No, that's fine. Just show us to our seats, please."

"Can do! Three seats reserved for a Mr. Seto Kaiba and his family….you will be sitting next to a man by the name of Yugi Motou and his friends, alright?"

I had forgotten that Yugi probably would be invited to come because of his recent fame last year regarding his rise to World Champion. Although I found it ironic that he would be sitting next to us. Very ironic.

Of course Mokuba and Serenity were ecstatic. "Cool! Yugi'll be sitting next to us! How many people did he bring?"

"Umm…" Jonathan began. "Four. Three of his friends and his grandfather."

"Hey, I wonder if he brought Joey," Serenity said, wanting to see her brother. "That would be funny."

"I bet he did." And he did.

After Jonathan had lead us to the sort of auditorium where the awards would be given out and our seats, he said, "Alright, well, I'll leave you three to do whatever it is you do. We'll just be setting up a little bit more so don't mind us."

"Thank you, Mr. Wassermaning."

"My pleasure! Have a nice night!" He left us.

"Wow, the place is so empty, Seto!" Mokuba informed me, sitting down in the plushy seats that were designated to us. He didn't have to tell me. I could hear our voices echo around the open space with only the sound of preparations coming from the stage. In my mind, I pictured the place. It looked like a school auditorium, only about five times bigger. The stage was black and large with reddish-brown velour curtains hanging mysteriously above it, ready to be pulled back and reveal the show. The seats were dark red to match the curtains, overly stuffed and plushy. They were comfortable to sit in, but the space was crowded with all the other people. That was one thing I was not looking forward to. The crowds. The lack of space. Not fun for a blind man, not fun at all.

"Ready, Seto?" Serenity asked me, about to start memorizing the walkways

"Ready."

"Ok, good. Stay here Mokuba we'll be back, ok?"

"Ok! I can't wait, Seto!"

"Yes, I know."

So we began. From my seats to the stage twenty-one steps were needed. No one would be in the aisles, and I had my cane anyway, so I didn't need to worry about that. From the stage to the stairs leading onto the stage seven steps were needed. There were five stair-steps. From the top-stair to the podium were ten steps. From the podium to the stairs on the opposite side were twelve steps. Five stairs down. From the bottom stair to my row was the decided twenty-one steps. I would have to sit in the nearest empty seat from there, which was fine because Wassermaning had told us that it would only be Yugi's family and mine sharing the row, no one else. So there would be room enough for me. Serenity also told me that she would move down to sit next to me, which I appreciated.

After finding the correct number of steps involved, we went through the whole thing five, six more times. Then Serenity and I moved back to our seats. Waiting was now the only option. Well, waiting and listening to the excited chatter of Mokuba and Serenity.

People began arriving at around 8:00. I didn't know some of the people who walked in and moved around to get their seats, but I could create my own pictures of them in my mind. They smelled of heaven—expensive perfume, cologne, whole-body makeovers for this one night. Their clothes were rustling and bustling in a fancy way, it sounded like the rubbing together of silk and the flop of feathers as they walked proudly down to their seats. The bubble and babble of their voices went up and down in excited, chatty tones. Sometimes I could hear what they were saying, (things like, "I hope I win!" or "Wow, what a fabulous idea!" or "This will be quick."), sometimes I couldn't. It was thrilling to get a fantastical picture of what people looked like. I wished I could talk to them and then compare what I thought to what the actual was. But none would talk to me.

That was the odd thing. Many of the people pretended that I did not exist. Some people who I had made dome sort of business deal with at one time went up to me and said things like, "Kaiba! Good to see, er, yeah, you!" They reminded me so much of my coworkers when I first returned to Kaiba Corp. just after the accident. They did nothing to abate my discomfort.

But there was Yugi, (and of course his friends). As odd as it is to say, I didn't get that sense of hate and annoyance when I heard the heavy Brooklyn accent yell from the auditorium entrance, "Serenity!"

She giggled and stood up, "Joey!" they ran over here. I smiled and heard the events happen accordingly.

"Hey guys!" Mokuba said.

"Hi! Who knew we would be seated exactly next to each other, eh?" Yugi was happy to see us. "Hi, Kaiba, how's it going?"

I responded, "Fine, Yugi. Yourself?"

"Great!"

"How are you going to let an old man stand in the aisle for this long?" Yugi's grandfather asked, facetiously.

"Go ahead, Mr. Motou. I'll go in last!"

"You're a good boy, Tristan." They moved across us and sat in the five seats next to us, (I was on the end so it would be easier to get up and down).

Conversation was bubbly, they were all excited. I had to indulge them, though. After all, Mokuba and I were the only ones who had done this before. The rest of them had a new experience to go through that night.

The last guest arrived at about 8:30, I suspect. It began at exactly 9:03.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a voice on a loudspeaker announced.

"Seto, the lights went down," Serenity would be the whispering narrator of the events of the night.

"The Committee of Appreciation is happy that you have decided to come to this night's events." I guess they were appreciative. "We are sure that you will have a wonderful evening. And now, without further ado, THE STAGE AWARDS!!!" Music began playing loudly, (my ears did hurt by now), I didn't know the song, but it had a lot of drums and flutes playing.

"The curtain's lifted…and there are people in costumes dancing!" Music continued playing. "It's very pretty, Seto!" I nodded.

After some time, the music died down and Serenity told me the dancers moved off the stage. The loudspeaker said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Jonathan Wassermaning!" The audience clapped.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Jonathan's hearty voice boomed with the power of a microphone behind it. "We are all glad that you have arrived safely and happily. There's not much I can say about this night except…." He went on to describe the events. "Thank you, enjoy!" was the last thing he said before people clapped again and he went off the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Duke Devlin! Announcer of the 'Most Popular Person' Award!" I didn't know him, but for some reason Serenity and the others clapped very loudly and cheered when he stepped onstage.

The boy said his piece and a person I did not know won the award. The rest of the night passed in considerable boredom for me. Clap, stop clapping, clap, stop. I amused myself with an imaginary duel against Lock, like the ones we used to play verbally with each other before he taught me how to duel again.

Yugi won the "Most Recent Celebrity" Award along with the "Most Tenacity Shown in a Gaming Competition" Award, (all you had to do was win one tournament or something, but Yugi deserved a little more than this because he won two).

The first award I won was "Person Who Made the Most Money". I got out of my seat, tapped my way awkwardly along the aisles walking the twenty-one steps to the stage, (uncomfortably aware of the eyes on me and whispers passing as I moved and the unnatural lack of clapping), the seven steps to the stairs, the five steps up, the ten steps to the podium, shook a few hands, received my trophy, deposited the words, "Thank you," audibly and quickly into the microphone, then made my way back to the seats.

Sitting down in a new chair, (this one on the opposite side of the row), Wheeler said to me, "Nice speech, Kaiba! It broke my heart!"

"Yeah!" Serenity slapped me lightly on the arm and shoulder. "You were supposed to have prepared a long sermon about the goodness of the award and everything!"

"What was I going to say, honestly? I love to make money and thank the people who noticed it. Good night." It was so unfair that she was making me do this.

"Oh, Seto." She sighed and shifted to face the stage again.

For a long time neither Yugi or I won anything. There were some intermissions in which the commercial break was on the air and people danced some more to keep us entertained. I thought the night would never end.

Finally, at about 11:00, the last award was to be given out. "Greatest Achievement". I was happy, the night was almost over. I thought of what I would do when I got home, (more accurately, what I would do to Serenity, which would involve closed doors, no Mokuba, and a king-sized bed). All the previous announcers, including Jonathan Wassermaning, came out to give the award.

Jonathan said, "Well, the night is winding down—…" "It's almost over, Jon," the Duke Devlin boy reminded him, people laughed.

"Yes, it is…I'm actually surprised at how well it all went, almost without a hitch if that's ok for me to say, and I enjoyed the fantastic turn-out you all have displayed tonight. Thank you." He began clapping and a general applause started up.

"Now, 'Greatest Achievement' is a serious honor, perhaps the highest of the whole night. Its winner should feel not only gracious at receiving it, but proud to have done such a beneficial thing during the past year. The nominees for this award, you know who you are, that do not win should feel happy to even be nominated for such an honorable thing" He thought the award was the greatest thing since sliced bread, alright? "and its winner should know that they are someone who has done a truly, truly remarkable thing."

As stupid as it is to say, this got me thinking suddenly.

I thought, for a moment, that Lock should be the winner. He had done a truly remarkable thing when he taught me how to live again. Not only for just teaching me did he deserve it, though, but he had also attempted—out of his own free will—to do so. No one had ever done something like that for me. Besides, of course, Serenity. She liked me out of her own will and given me the best thing in the world, something better than sight: Love. She should be the winner. And Mokuba, he was the one who had believed in me the whole time, told me there was nothing I couldn't do. He trusted me to remain myself after I was blinded and gave me the strength at times in which to do so. Why not Mokuba?

But these were my private thoughts, and besides, they were not celebrities. It was nice to think, however.

"Now I have the envelope, here," Jonathan said. "Let me read it…ah yes, the winner, by a unanimous vote from the online-polls and the judges, is…………

_Seto Kaiba_

People clapped and Serenity cried out.

_Seto Kaiba_

Was that me? "Seto, it's you! Go!" Serenity prodded me. I stood up, overcome and confused. I had been nominated for that? I didn't know! But then I wouldn't…

Shakily I tapped my way down to stage, expecting at any time the real winner to go over to me and say, "Excuse me, young man, what are you doing?" but no such winner appeared. I counted the steps in my head: _One…two…three…four…five… _People were clapping now, their whispers had died and they were just applauding madly, happily.

Distantly, I heard Jonathan announce, tearfully, "As you know, Mr. Seto Kaiba was blinded in early November of last year. But he's here tonight, strong and successful as ever!"

Oh, what was going on? Was this a joke? Five steps up, _one…two…three…four…five_. From the stairs to the podium: _One…two…three…_

I was clapped on the back and praised for my achievement with gallant hand shakes and some, "Good job, Mr. Kaiba!" and "Congratulations!" and there was even one, "You deserved this, Kaiba!" from the Devlin boy.

Jonathan shook my hand even more vigorously than when I had arrived and handed me my trophy. I was offered the microphone, but wasn't sure I had anything to say. I surprised myself.

"Wow, thank you," I began, my voice echoing around the auditorium. "I wasn't really expecting this, tank you for voting for me, umm…" What was I going to say? I was so used to mocking this celebration, I had never taken it seriously, but now that I was shocked at receiving the night's highest honor, what could I say?

"I didn't really have a speech prepared for this, I really didn't anticipate this…umm, I guess I just want to thank everyone who helped me get this far." My thoughts of earlier came back to me. I rubbed my face, embarrassed, and began.

"First, I have to thank my little brother, Mokuba for his undying support in everything I did. He gave me trust and acceptance whenever it was needed, and even when it wasn't. He was the first one to actually…accept me.

"Second, I want to thank my lover, Serenity, for showing me…how to love and how to be…a human being. She is…and always will be…a wonderful person. She should be accepting this award tonight, not me.

"I also want to thank a few friends of mine, Yugi Motou and Joey Wheeler, for teaching me a valuable lesson: You're never alone, even when all the lights go out, and you should never get in a car with someone who looses his way." I laughed briefly and the audience chuckled, confusedly. But Wheeler knew.

"But, I guess, most importantly, I have to dedicate this award to a person who deserves to be here on this stage with me, but cannot. A man named Lock, you wouldn't know him. He was my teacher, but he was also my best friend. I know that I would be little if he had not given up his time to teach me. Thank you, Lock." Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, I wanted to get off that stage. I had embarrassed myself, and needed to leave right away. "Thank you all, good-bye." The audience clapped loudly and I heard a sound amidst all the noise.

"They're giving you a standing ovation, Mr. Kaiba," Jonathan told me.

Proud and surprised further, I smiled and left the stage. On my way back to my seat, I felt their eyes on me and heard a few whistles and cheers from the crowd.

As soon as I sat, Serenity leaned toward me and gave me a huge kiss. I felt her tears when she pressed her cheek against mine. "I love you," she told me in my ear.

"Same," I said.

"Seto!" Mokuba cried. "You're…you're welcome! I love you, too!"

"Thanks, Mokuba." I had wanted them to know how special they were to me, apparently they got the message. I asked, then, jokingly, "Did you cry this time, Wheeler?"

"He did," Serenity said.

"I did not!" Wheeler protested, but his voice was tearful.

"Thank you, Kaiba," Yugi told me. There was a hint of snuffling in his voice.

"Sure."

"Our night has ended, ladies and gentlemen!" Jonathan told everyone. "Have a safe trip home and thank you for coming! We all appreciate it!" The last part was a joke.

Everyone stood up again and clapped loudly. The night was over, and I had stolen the show without even knowing it. Or meaning it.

That night, in bed with Serenity, (after my plans had been carried out), I was at peace with the night. The embarrassment had worn off, and I had received pride that people, not only the judges of the Committee, but the "public", thought that I deserved such an award.

"Seto," Serenity said. "I'm very proud of you."

I kissed her as response.

We fell asleep, then, in each others' arms.

That night I had one more dream. There was darkness and my step-father called out to me, _"Get over here, Seto!"_

"_I'm coming!" _I searched for him. His voice, so loud, was an easy guide. Following it I soon reached him. _"You wanted me?"_

Gozaburo had turned in Lock. _"Yes. You have learned what I wanted you to, Seto. Good work, I'm proud of you."_

"_Thank you, Lock."_

"_Good-bye, now." _He left. My dream ended and I slept on. But I had no more dreams.

The next morning I would have calls and requests to go on talk shows and explain my acceptance speech. It would be what some call, "healthy publicity". Some of the people listening would know what blindness was, truly, after that, like you do now, after listening to my story.

But at the time I knew none of this. There was only peaceful sleep.


	18. Epilogue

I put my thanks at the bottom.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh.

**Epilogue**

_Do you ever feel like your life was complete? No? Me neither. After the Stage Awards, I fought off the reporters until I was filled with enough fame to last a lifetime, however. But remaining the President of Kaiba Corp. did not make it stop. _

_I continued playing duel monsters for years. I never beat Yugi, but Joey never beat me either. He came close a few times, but he never actually won. The game still amused me, but I eventually quit playing regularly and resigned to only occasional playing. I don't know why._

_Serenity and I stayed together. We never married, but still together and in love. She is currently working her way through a scholarship in a college. She has a degree in teaching the blind. She calls me her inspiration, but I think she could do it without me. She has the experience._

_It is weird having a normal life, now. It's almost the same as it was before, only a lot darker. _

_I once told someone that life is a game and if you can't handle it, don't play. I still think that. Now I'm just playing it blind._

**Playing It Blind**

A/N: That's the end, y'all!!! Omg, it's so sad! I was like crying when I wrote the part about the Stage Awards! It really was sad...were you guys feeling the love, there? I tried to make Seto seem a tad bit changed from the beginning, like, notice how he said Serenity was more important than Kaiba Corp.'s work for a split second and then he smiled and was nice to Yugi and his friends….tell me it worked, please?

The Epilogue was, is, kind of short. I didn't mean for it to be, but I thought I said enough in the last chapter. If I didn't cover anything, my apologies and I hope you have enough information to figure out the lost details for yourself.

I want to give MY thanks now! First of all, thank you, all my wonderful, lovely reviewers! I love you all so much! You offered so much inspiration even when I was blocked or at an end point. I never expected to actually go all the way with this story, but I did! And it actually didn't crash and burn! All thanks to you!

My most faithful reviewers, (you know who you are), I give you a big thanks and hug! Thank you!

For the people who read and did not review, (if there are any), hope you enjoyed it!

Next, I have to thank the Yu-Gi-Oh characters for letting me put them in all sorts of hellish situations, stupid situations, (coughcough Joey coughcough), and heart-breaking situations. Thank you Seto, for letting me make you blind! Come in and take a bow! Seto comes in smiling and bows

Thank you! Sequels…hmm, doubtful, but if I do write one I'll be sure to let you know.

Thank you very very much!

Happy Reading!

**End**


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